Setting my life flow for 2018, I started with my 2017 annual review first. As a yoga teacher, I have been working with people, as well as I have been creating my work alone. Deep reflection, honoring ‘ logic and magic’ equality, is a part of my teaching. In my yoga tradition, I brought my Ganesha, a remover of the obstacle with me, at least in a spirit. However, Karson McGinley’s article How to Be Your Life Coach brought more lights, inspiration, and guidance into my inner process so you might get same vibes to review your life and sit with your Inner Life Coach to create new moves for 2018.
Here is how it can be done!
Draw your baseline – Where Are You Now?
Sit down ( with Genesha next to you or not) and focus on suggesting life coaching process. Respond to questions and got new clarity to your desires and your pathways to success. You might do it as well; the end of the year is approaching, so it might be a good time to clean up your 2017 life table to start fresh in the new year 2018.
With your journal and pen in hand, get clear about where you are, with the understanding that your present state is a result of the choices you have made in the past. It is empowering to recognize that the choices you make from this point forward have the capacity to create the life you’ve always wanted.
Be honest (nobody is watching) and reflect on the present here and now in 2017:
- What would my life look like right now to someone on the outside looking in?
- Looking at the eight basic areas of my life (e.g., career, family/relationships, health, money, spirituality, personal development, recreation, and physical environment), how would I rank my satisfaction on a scale from 1-10?
- What are the main challenges I am facing right now?
- If I could wave a magic wand and change one thing about my life, what would that be?
- What’s missing in my life right now?
- What is motivating this process of self-inquiry?
- Am I willing, in this moment, to do the work that is necessary to create a better life for myself? Why?
Get Direction Where You Want To Go in 2018
Now when you summarize your present situation identify where you’d like to improve. Looking over your notes so far, circle or highlight areas where you are settling, selling yourself short, or are limiting your growth. This process helps to identify the “gap” between where you are and where you want to be.
Ask yourself the following questions as you begin to clarify for yourself how you’d like to see you in 2018:
- In each of the eight life areas, what would my ideal life be like? What are some dreams I have for each area? For example:
- What would my ideal relationship feel like?
- What would my ideal job look like?
- What would my dream living situation be?
- What are some changes I know I would like to make in the short term (in the next 1-6 months)? What about the long term, the bigger picture?
- What would my ideal day look like? How could I manage my time better?
- What smaller changes could I make to free up some time and energy to tackle the bigger changes in my life?
DREAM UP Your Options
Once you’ve identified where there is room for improvement and how you would like to see yourself improve, a life coach in you will challenge you choose your battle. There might be a few, prioritize the order of importance. Before you commit to anything, the next step is to consider the different ways you could proceed. Ask yourself:
What could I do to move toward the completion of my 2018 goals?
For example, if you have clarified that you’d like to lose weight and feel healthier in your body, you might start a brainstorming list that includes all the strategies you can think of for how you might approach this goal. You might list:
- Joining a gym
- Joining Weight Watchers
- Going on a diet
- Getting a running buddy
- Getting liposuction
Again, you’re not committing to anything yet, you are just taking a good look at all of your options, so don’t hold back!
Pick A Your Dream And Make A Plan
Now, take a good look at your brainstorming list, and ask yourself:
Cross out the ideas you don’t want to do. Cross out the ideas you aren’t willing to do. Look at what’s left. Make a decision about which strategy you will employ to move toward your vision, and then write it down clearly.
Be SMART In Your Moves
TIMING IS CRUCIAL. Now create your action plan answering ‘what and when’.
Exactly what will I do and by when?
You’ve probably heard of the acronym SMART for strong goal setting. As you look over your work, be sure that your goals are:
- S = Specific
- M= Measurable
- A = Achievable
- R = Relevant
- T = Time-Oriented
A good example of a well-phrased goal is, “I will lose 10 pounds by January 15th, by going to the gym three times a week for 30 minutes each, and eliminating bread from my diet.”
Be Aware Of Obstacles On Your Journey
So, you’ve got a strong goal written down, now it’s time to use your strategic creativity to anticipate the challenges you’ll face on the journey. Ask yourself:
- What obstacles can I foresee getting in the way of this plan?
- What makes this plan difficult to achieve?
- What are my self-sabotaging tendencies, and how might I handle them?
- How might I anticipate these obstacles and overcome them with grace and grit?
By brainstorming some ways that you can cut your obstacles off at the pass, you increase your chance of success dramatically. Some examples of things you might write in this section might be:
- I will set out my workout clothes the night before so I literally trip over them when I get out of bed in the morning.
- When I’m at a party that is serving alcohol, I will drink sparkling water with lime instead.
- If I press snooze, I know I’m less likely to actually get up and meditate, so I will move my alarm clock to the other side of the room.
Create Accountability and Reward System
The last step (before actually following through on your plan) is to figure out how you will hold yourself accountable to the tasks on your life list. Ask yourself:
- What kind of accountability will help keep me on track?
- How will I remember to do the things I have every intention of doing?
- What kind of reward system could I place on myself for succeeding?
- Who might be an effective accountability partner for this task? What do I need from this person?
Sum it up!
On a fresh sheet of paper, rewrite your new goals for 2018. Identify your action steps, and for each one, clarify in writing:
- What will I do in 2018?
- When will I do it in 2018?
- How will I hold myself accountable?
Display your 2018 goals somewhere you will encounter them often (either in a common area like on your fridge, or in a private area, as in your journal). Every time you see the goals, check in with your progress.
Do not forget to give yourself credit where credit is due, and get real when you know you could do better.
Now, all that’s left to do, is to do it. You activated your process still in 2017, so soon you will get out there, make it happen and
May God Genesha bring your good luck, happiness and prosperity in the year of 2018 and MAKE YOUR INNER COACH PROUD!
Source: http://www.chopra.com
YOGA and TRAVEL 