Start Where You Are

It is that time of year when many people start thinking about the new year, and talk about fresh starts. No doubt: over the next few weeks you’ll come across articles about the “perfect” goals, how to set goals, or how you can finally achieve your New Year’s Resolutions.

Lose. Save. Start. Stop. Learn. Organize… You know the list.

Well, I’ll just say it:  STOP.  Don’t do it. Leave the resolutions behind and avoid the to-do list of goals.

Gasp! A coach that isn’t into goal setting? What the whaa?!?   

That’s only partly true:  I don’t start with goals for myself, and I work with clients to start somewhere much more important before committing to a goal.

I start with my vision.

Here’s why:  a goal is “the object of a person’s ambition or effort; an aim or desired result” while a vision is seeing yourself in the context of what you want your life to be.

Both are important, yes. I believe that vision has the power to transform your life, where goals tend to be incremental steps.

But steps towards what?  Without being connected to who you are and what you want for your life, goals can be arbitrary can fall short.

There is a much more effective way to achieve what you want. Vision is HOW you want to live your life and WHO you will be when you are living this vision. And when you get clear about the vision for what you want in your life, the right goals become clear. Really.

So where do you begin?

First, focus on your current situation and take stock of what is happening in your life, now.

What’s working?
What makes you happy?
What do you want more of?

And, just as important: get really clear on what is not working and what you want to let go.

Let’s think about a really simple analogy:

If you wanted to go to Paris, France (vision), you must first know where you are starting (assessment of the present). Only by knowing where you are (present) and where you are going (vision) can you know what route to take (goals), what to pack (daily habits) to ensure you have what you need (resources). And if you are willing to evaluate your journey before you begin, you’ll know the investment it will take to complete, or even enjoy your trip (resources, gratitude, joy…).

Now if you never set your sights Paris, the chances you’ll happen upon the Eiffel Tower are pretty small. And if you don’t know where you are starting from (San Francisco? London? Zambia?), the journey will surely take longer. In fact, this analogy speaks to me so deeply, it is why I named this newsletter “Trust Your Compass.”

Resolutions and goals likely won’t change your life, but having a clear vision can make all the difference in the world.

That is why I LOVE leading workshops to help people get clear on their vision. Stay tuned next week for information on how you can participate in the all-new 2018 Visioning Experience. I can’t wait to share all the details with you!

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” 
– Arthur Ashe