change begins with a choice

We're a couple of weeks into the New Year, how are things going for you? Have you made any resolutions or intentions yet?  Are you sticking to the intentions you made for yourself? Are you having trouble planning something out? Perhaps you haven’t given it much thought and you’re content with your life as it is. If that’s you, this blog post may not be for you, and that is OK.

Last week I mentioned my list of things that I am NOT going to do so that I can do what I want and need to do for myself and my family. Certainly a different way of goal setting but I’m not afraid to try something different as long as it fits within my core values.

It is with great pleasure to report that last week went extremely well. This isn’t to say that everything went perfectly. There is no such thing and you have to be willing to think on your feet and adjust accordingly. More importantly, not to let the “perfectly planned” schedule upset you or even control you when something doesn’t fall into place. As Darren Hardy says “you control the day, don’t let the day control you.”

As productive as I was last week, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself relaxed and even dare I say, FREE! Not stressed, not anxious, not worried, not overwhelmed or even exhausted like I usually am. RELAXED AND FREE!! I followed my schedule, my list of “to-do’s” that I created for each day.  Not only did I complete said list each day, I completed my own workouts and was able to have the weekend at home taking care of things without having that hankering feeling of having to work. For the longest time, when I was at work, I wanted to be with my family. When I was with my family, I had a hard time not thinking about work and what needed to be done.

Now, I’m not sure if you have that same problem but for me, it was a constant battle with myself internally. I am a workaholic. I love to work. I work about 50-60 hours each week.  I love to be “busy.” Somewhere along the way though, being “busy” took the place of being productive. I really had to take a look and track my day and see where I was losing the most time. Most of the time lost was spent on things or even people that didn’t align with my core values. For me, everything goes back to my core values and I had to make that choice, that conscious effort on what and who I am going to spend my time on.

So, how can this help YOU?

Simply, CHANGE BEGINS WITH A CHOICE.

What is it that you are wanting or perhaps even needing to change? How long have you been wanting this change? How much longer are you going to wait?

As Darren Hardy says, “your choices become your behaviors. Behaviors repeated become habits. Habits compounded over time become your life.”

The bottom line is, nothing will change for you until you change; until you make the CHOICE and daily steps to create that change. I’ve been working on this change of mine for quite a few months now. It’s not perfect and it didn’t happen overnight, nor will it continue to be “fixed” in one day. But I am seeing and more importantly feeling the difference in my life each day I practice it. No matter what it is you are seeking to change, success happens in baby steps. One step at a time.

Create a vision, listen to your inner voice, your spirit. Exercise your mind and your body. What do you want to practice more, learn more, and BECOME more?

As my mentor Todd Durkin says, “Dream big and be the best version of yourself this year!”