Vlog: Believe

I've been discussing my motto:  Dream.  Imagine.  Believe.  Achieve.  I've talked about dream and imagine.  Today, it's believe.  

The definition of "believe" is "to accept or regard as something that's true."  

So, how can believing help you get unstuck and go for your goals?

Well, you can start acting as if you already have it, made it, did it.  Your dream has come true.  Don't throw your money around just because you imagine yourself as a millionaire or successful businessperson.  That could get you into a lot of trouble.  You need to pay the rent, you need to act responsibly.  But you can visualize yourself as being successful.  You can believe that it will happen.  

Why is belief important?

• If you don't believe in yourself, no one else will.  And you may need people's help to follow your dreams.
• Belief breeds confidence that you need when t  The road gets rough.  You'll most likely face barriers along the way toward your dreams, but with confidence, you can overcome them.  You need belief for that.
• If you've seen others do something you know it can be done.  To believe that you can do it is key to doing it yourself.
• Belief inspires you to take action.  You know you can do it so let's get going.  And you won't give up until you succeed.
• It helps you form a positive attitude.  Attitude is everything when going for your goals.  You need to have a positive attitude to accomplish anything.  To achieve anything.  

Achieve is the final portion of my motto.  Dreaming, imagining, and believing can lead to achievement.  

• You may fail repeatedly but belief keeps you going, trying again.  You know this is what you are meant to do.  Help people, for example.  That was me.  I've tried lots of stuff--I wanted to be a psychologist and play therapist.  I didn't do it.  But, years later, I've found coaching.  I've always wanted to help people, ever since I was very young.  Nothing else clicked, but coaching did.  And tutoring English as well as an off-shoot.  I am helping people.  It doesn't matter that I didn't go for the masters and doctorate.  It matters that I kept looking for what was right for me; the way in which I could help people best.   And, I've found it.  It took awhile, but I found it.  And that's okay.  Your true self--your true calling--may take awhile to come forth, but it will.  Give it time.  Then work for it, embrace it, love it, enjoy it.

What are your dreams?  Do you believe in yourself and your ability to achieve them?  

Vlog: Advantages of Acting on a Goal

Hi!  Here is my latest vlog post, this time on the advantages of acting on a goal.  Goal setting is an important part of accomplishing something you really want to do.  Then comes the planning stage.  You need to plan out how you'll meet those goals.  But, then what?  

Action!

Without action, you may never know if you have it in you to make your dreams come true.  You may never get to experience new things and go new places because you were afraid to try; afraid to fail, or you were discouraged by someone who thought you shouldn't risk it.  Well, I'm here to encourage you to do  just the opposite:

• Try!
• Fail!
• Do!

Take those plans and put them into action to make your dreams come true, to meet your goals.  You may have to go through a lot of trial and error to get things right.  You may get discouraged.  You may feel like giving up.  That's okay.  Just as long as you keep trying, maybe faiilng, too, but definitely doing.  Doing something!  Without doing, you'll never know if you can do it or not.  Without failing, you might not learn valuable lessons about where to make adjustments so what you want to do comes easier and turns out better.  Without trying, you will never know how awesome it is to live on your own, travel the world, take a class, have a life-changing surgery, or anything else you may dream of doing.  

Forget the naysayers, stick to your guns, and go for your goals.  You. Can. Do. It.  Let me know how it goes.  I would love to hear from you.

Goal Setting: Get S.M.A.R.T

To make desired changes in your life, you need to set some goals.  Not just any goals, but S.M.A.R.T goals.  S.M.A.R.T goals can be used to tackle anything you want to change.  Here, I'll give examples of how to set weight loss as well as independence goals.

Specific:  Goals need to be clear.  Pare your goal down.  What exactly do you want?  

Weight Loss--"I want to get fit," is not specific.  There are many ways to get fit.  You'll want to choose something along the lines of, "I want to lose weight," instead.  

Independence--  Compare "I want to be independent," with the more targeted, "I want to find an apartment."  Wanting to be independent could mean many things, while switching to "I want to find an apartment," focuses your attention on the specific.  Key on the specific goal you want to achieve. 

Measurable:  Goals also need to be measurable.  How will you know you've reached your goal?  This involves picking a number.  

Weight Loss--How much weight do you want to lose?  Keep a weight loss journal to log your weight regularly.  Weigh yourself once a day or once a week, whatever you prefer, as long as it's done on a regular basis.  Keep track of your progress. 

Independence--How many apartments will you look at per week?  Two?  Five?  Ten?  Keep track of your progress in your apartment hunting journal.  You can also note in your journal the plusses and minuses of the cost, location, and amentiies for each apartment you look at.  

Attainable: Set a goal that you can reasonably shoot for.  Go for what you want, but make sure it's something you actually can do.

Weight Loss--Say you want to lose 100 pounds.  That's tough and will take a long time. Instead of concentrating on the whole amount, break it down into more manageable 20-pound increments. "I will lose 20 pounds," is attainable.   

Independence-- "Find an apartment that is wheel-chair accessible," is a doable goal, although it might take time.  Be patient.  Also, do some research to find out how much money you'll need for rent, utilities, and any other services you require.  Resources such as grants and special programs may be available to help with those expenses.  If so, check them out and see if you qualify.

Realistic:  Set a goal that you really can commit to.  Choose a goal that is meaningful to you. 

Weight Loss--Losing weight to reduce your A1C level is an excellent and realistic goal, while losing weight because your spouse thinks you should, is not.   You need to want it, crave it, eat it, sleep it, breathe it, own it.  It can't be someone else's goal for you; it has to be your goal for yourself.  

Independence--Similarly, searching for your own apartment because you are ready to strike out on your own and you crave independence is realistic, while doing so because you don't want to be laughed at for living with your parents as an adult, is not.  You need to be ready to make the move.  Don't rush it.  

Time:  Set a time by which you will achieve your goal.  This helps you stay accountable and moving forward toward your goal.  

Weight Loss--If you want to lose 20 pounds, a reasonable deadline would be 4 months since a healthy weight loss rate of 1 to 2 pounds per week is recommended.  It may not seem like much but, added up, it makes a huge difference over time.  Think 52 weeks a year--yep, in a year you could lose 52 to 104 pounds, if needed, at that rate!  That is amazing!  And, you're more apt to keep it off too.  So, I urge you to be patient.  You will reap tremendous rewards opting for slow weight loss.

Independence--When do you want to be settled into your new apartment?  Before Christmas?  By summer?  Six months from now?  A year from now?  Setting a date by which you will be living on your own keeps the goal alive, helps you stay on task, and brings a sense of urgency you wouldn't have otherwise.  

Okay now, how S.M.A.R.T. are your goals?  Have you used this strategy to set goals for yourself?  How did it go?  Let me know.  Comment below or send me an email at amy@acnlifecoach.com.  I'd love to hear from you.  Take care.