Getting Direction in Your Life

Make it stand out

You can’t really know where you are going until you know where you have been.

~ Maya Angelou

It’s the beginning of a NEW year so of course that means making resolutions.  A resolution, according to Oxford Languages Dictionary, is “a firm decision to do or not to do something”.  Why, then, do we say we are going to do something, make that firm DECISION for change, when in the back of our mind we know it won’t last?  

Instead of thinking “resolution”, how about TRANSFORMATION?  Developing and acquiring new skills and stepping out of our comfort zone to reach our full potential.  Doesn’t that sound better?  Working on DEVELOPING ourselves in a positive manner rather than proclaiming we are going to do something that we have no intention of doing.

So here are some things to consider when thinking of transforming yourself:

If you don’t understand why you want something - deeply, personally want something - you will never make it happen because CHANGE is HARD.

If you can’t answer the questions “where am I?” and “who am I right now?” you cannot answer the question you also need which is “what do I actually want?”

That is why so many people spend years feeling STUCK because they can’t honestly answer “what is it “I” actually want?” 

We get stuck with “what do I want for my kids or my spouse or my parents?”, and we push aside what it is that we want for ourselves.

So, take out your phone and look through your pictures of what happened over this past year - or maybe look through your social media posts.  WHY, because we forget what happened over the past twelve months.  We need that visual reminder - so AUDIT your year month by month.

What are the HIGHLIGHTS from the year?  Noting there will be highs and lows?

What were the hardest things of the year?

What did you LEARN?  About life, yourself, your beliefs. You learn from the HARDEST things, the struggles. It is important for you to give yourself credit for the things you survived, the little things you let yourself enjoy.

What are you going to STOP doing this year? As you look through your pictures on your phone and social media, you may see some PATTERNS that will help you decide if there are things you need to stop.

What are you going to CONTINUE doing?  We don’t give ourselves credit for doing things right.  Think “I am going to continue to ______”, morning routine, listening to a particular podcast, calling ______”, etc.  What is it that you like about what you are already doing?

What do you want to START doing this year? We are not going to do the things we don’t really care about.  WHY do you want to do these things?  Having that personal reason WHY will motivate you to do what it is that you really want to do.

Use things from the past year to help you answer “what are you going to continue?”, “what are you going to stop?”, and “what are you going to start?”.

But first you must answer the question “where am I?”

You can’t get DIRECTION in your life if you don’t know your starting point.  So where are you? Right now, remembering your journey over the past year. Where do you want to go?  

Now GO!