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 2019.  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 occur in the future.  They are something to strive for; but their outcome is always in the future.  That’s why they’re easily abandoned!  Good systems support us in the present moment while they keep us moving forward.   Sure, goals are easier to create.  They feel ambitious, yet there’s a kind of safety in knowing that goals “down the road” don’t really have to disrupt our lives today.  New systems, however, can temporarily disrupt our lives..  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. Like any new learning, you’ll 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 to some help to establish your systems, schedule your free session with Linda now at: https://lindacobb.com/strategy-session/