The March 2010 issue of O- The Oprah Magazine included a large section devoted to organization. That must mean that spring is in the air. Actually most magazines have a standard organization or declutter article these days.

Part of the article in this magazine  included “The 10 Habits of Highly Organized People” which I thought was spot on. When we think of someone who is highly organized we think of them as being disciplined or a perfectionist. What they really have developed is a simple set of rules or a system that works for them.

The article shared those 10 tips. I have highlighted a few here:

o Walk away from bargains. Do you really need so many bottles of shampoo?
o Separate emotions from your stuff. Do you really need the dried out flowers to remember your 10 year anniversary?
o Schedule regular decluttering sessions. Whether its 15 minutes each week or an afternoon every other month schedule maintenance time.

Developing a set of rules about your stuff can help you get and stay organized.

It appears to be a month of travel analogies for me, but if it helps get the message across…

Most New Year’s resolution and, therefore, most permanent lifestyle changes fail because of a lack of planning. You may be good at making temporary changes…losing 20 pounds or even exercising for five days a week for a few months. But are you able to sustain this healthy lifestyle long term?

Do you want to know the real secret to living a healthier lifestyle?

Well let’s look at the example of going on a car trip…you wouldn’t just get into the car and drive or would you?

You would probably decide where you were going and who you were going with. You would determine how long you would be gone and what you needed to take with you on the trip. You would also make decisions about the sites you would see and stops along the way as well as how much money you should take.

In other words you would make a plan.

You need to put in the same type of thought- the same amount of planning- into achieving a lasting healthy lifestyle. What tools do you need to achieve a healthy lifestyle? What actions do you need to put into place? What timeline are you going to use? What small achievable changes in your life will you make on a daily basis that will lead you to a healthier lifestyle?

What really matters in the long run…what it really comes down to…what the real secret is… is CHOICE. Making choices on a daily basis to support your plan….parking further away in the parking lot, adding a fruit at your afternoon snack, eliminating one 12 oz. can of pop and eating breakfast daily can each make a difference.

So start with a plan. Implement your healthy choices and see a healthier lifestyle happen permanently.

I came across that statement and thought it to be profound.

What it means to me is that you have to be in the right place at the start of your journey in order to get to where you are going. Are you in the right place mentally to make permanent change in your life?

That’s why January may not be a good time of the year to make resolutions or goals. It may be better to do it now or when you are really ready to begin the journey of change.

Have you thought about the impact your resolutions (goals) are going to make on your life? Do you need to change the way you grocery shop or schedule your time? Have you looked at past accomplishments to set yourself up for success? Have you developed a list of alternatives to triggers for unhealthy choices?

Are you in the right place to start your journey? Maybe you need to set yourself up for success by determining your goal, the steps you need to take along the way and your mode of transportation.

Are you ready? Are you taking the bus or the train?

I am not sure if you have roundabouts in the town where you live. In the last few years several have been added near my home. While I see some benefits to having them I am also concerned about how people drive through them. They are so much in a hurry that they can’t wait…pause to make a good decision for traveling through the roundabout. It is almost as if they are plowing through it. That’s what concerns me. They don’t take time to even stop or pause for a second to consider the others that want to move through or their best route for exiting the roundabout.

The reason that I am writing about roundabouts today is because of a comment my massage therapist and friend, Susan Harding, who is the owner of Healthworks Massage Therapy and Wellness Center made the other day. She indicated that she decided that where she was in her decision making process about something was like a car in a roundabout but going around and around and not exiting. This is actually a good thing because she had so many potential exits (options) that she decided she was comfortable just circling until the right exit came up.

What I found very interesting was that she didn’t use the word “stuck” in the roundabout. She actually was using the roundabout as part of her journey. She was taking time to look at all options…seeing which fit her best.

So where are you with your journey in your career, personal life, family life or resolutions (goals)? Maybe you should take the time to circle the roundabout one more time to ensure that you have looked at all possible options (exits) before moving through it too fast.

Life coaching can help you find life balance, move forward or define the exit (path) you want to take. If you would like a free 30-minute sample session contact me.

“We need time to dream, time to remember and time to reach the infinite. We need time to be.” ~ Gladys Faber

Are you taking time for yourself? Do you spend time refueling yourself?

Make yourself a priority and take time for you. It is not selfish. By taking time for yourself you will have more energy for others.

Read more about taking time for yourself at one of my favorite websites www.dailyom.com.

One of the “challenges” in making change is the excuses we use…thinking “it is hard” or “I don’t have the money” or “I am too old (young)”.

Don’t let these thoughts define what you can accomplish.

To accomplish change (your desires or dreams) you need to think about the thing that you want to produce. Dr. Wayne W. Dyer states in his book “Excuses Begone! How to change self-defeating thinking habits” (Hay House, Inc., 2009), “We all become what we think about so it’s pretty important to pay attention to those thoughts.” He further states, “Once you master the idea surrounding this concept, you won’t want to use your mind for the purpose of excuse making. Instead you’ll prefer to use it to really consider what you want to manifest into your life and then visualize it as coming true.”

So keep your mind on what you want and contemplate yourself as you already are.

Why do we each year go through the activity of setting New Year’s resolutions only to give up a few short weeks later?

Typically, resolutions are about changing habits, habits perpetuated by “long established habits of thought that have lead you to use excuses as your rationale for staying the same,” as stated by Dr. Wayne Dyer in his book “Excuses Begone! how to change self-defeating thinking habits” (Hay House, Inc., 2009). By implementing the seven “Excuses Begone!” principles described in the book you too can correct your mind and release excuses causing you to stay in the past.

So change your thought process, let go of your excuses and change your life…free yourself from that which stands in the way of your future. What excuses will you release?

While a feeling of accomplishment is something to be enjoyed, you might also take a little time today to consider some bigger goals you could set to keep the momentum going. Simply give some thought to the goals you’ve accomplished thus far, and think about the next logical steps to pushing your level of success even higher. Then come up with some clear action steps you can put into motion once your period of celebration has run its course.

We can keep the process of personal growth going strong if we continuously keep reaching higher in our aspirations. When we first accomplish a goal, we understandably feel proud of our achievements and may be tempted to stop where we are. By choosing to see our goals as an ongoing process of personal accomplishment, we will understand the importance of setting continuous goals. As we keep stretching and growing beyond what we believed was possible, we continue to improve our life circumstances and gain a greater sense of confidence about our own abilities. This allows us to achieve even greater results later.

While you are enjoying your celebrations today, you can devote some of your positive energy to forming even bigger goals to keep moving forward or even leaping forward.

There is a lot going on in the world today and that can contribute to us feeling off balance. Sometimes it all feels overwhelming but you can control your piece of the world. You can read ideas from the article “10 things you can change right now” in Women’s Day (January 2010) magazine by Susan Sulich.

Sulich proposes “Minor changes, like a haircut, may be all it takes to spur you on to bigger ones.” If you are looking to dream big and take some leaps this year a small update in your surroundings can boost your confidence and motivate you to go for more change.

So shake things up as suggested by the article’s author… buy a new shade of lipstick or nail polish or new accessory. Maybe you can do an upgrade in your environment such as a new DVD for the car ride to work or clearing the mail pile on the counter and setting up a pretty basket to place your mail in. There is a similar article  posted on the Women’s Day website should you choose to read more.

So grab the reins and change one small thing. What will it be? I just bought a new shade of green eye liner.

What will I change next? What will you change next?

Happy 2010!

What are your dreams and goals for the New Year? Are you planning on taking small baby steps or is it time to push yourself out of your comfort zone into something bigger for yourself?

In a recent post from my Coach, Janet, she addresses this topic of dreaming bigger. She makes a great point about playing it safe or taking a leap for the brass ring. I too have been a supporter of small baby steps, but she now has me thinking that you sometimes have to shake it up and just leap…take a big step toward your big dream.

As you set your sights on your 2010 goals (dreams) are you going to pick the same things or push…really push toward the bigger dream?

So are you ready to leap? Leap with me for the New Year.