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Did you happen to read my last post from January 3rd? If so did you do the homework–review your last 12 months looking for the successes, ahas, ways you grew, people who touched you, etc? If so, you ought to be in a pretty good place to plan the next 12. Reviewing what was good and what you did do, vs lamenting and worrying over what you didn’t, puts you in a positive, successful frame of mind. You feel good about yourself right?

The first step in setting goals that you love, that excite you, and that you are likely to reach boomer women, is to dream a little. Something busy solopreneurs rarely take time to do.

This step also requires a piece of paper, some quiet time, and a juicy, stress relieving “shut up!” directed at the editor, the little voice, the fear based, freaked out, comfort zone protector we all have running constantly in our brains. 

Once you are comfortable and ready to go your assignment is this: write down anything that comes to mind that you would love to see happen or become a part of your life. No boundaries, no limits, no “how will I?”s just write til you have emptied your head of the ideas that are swirling around craving recognition. Somewhere in the chaos are the gems of your particular dreams which match your talents that it’s time to get on with. If you don’t immediately see the value in this exercise, do it anyway, you  might be surprised.

Remember, this is not a goal creation list, it’s the first step and a process to help you see ideas you might not have if you just sat down and started with 1. Lose weight, 2. stop procrastinating etc. Besides, do those sound like goals you could fall in love with? 

Once your brain feels empty, put the list or lists down. That’s all you have to do for today. Tomorrow you’ll go back to the list–or at least wait a few hours–you’ll pick the paper up and look at it with a view to finding the clues to what you really want to take on, change, create, enjoy, add or subtract from your current day to day.

Play with this, have fun with it, who cares if “ride a camel” comes up and you have no idea why or where it goes in terms of the next 12 months. I’ve had “ride an elephant” on my wish list for years and it stays there because it’s something I really want to do, it’s just not a priority yet. One year “leave the restaurant business” came up and onto my list and I had no idea why or how I’d do that but here I am, some years later, a certified coach, speaking, writing, enjoying all sorts of things I couldn’t imagine the “how” of back then. When I saw it on paper though, I knew this idea meant business and my mind set about looking for the answer to “how?”

Let me know if you use this tool to get started planning a new year or new project even. If not, how do you get started creating goals you can fall in love with vs goals that feel like shoulds?

What’s a new year without resolutions, goals, a bit of self flagellation for all we didn’t do in the last 12 months?

When you wrote down, or declared your goals/resolutions, did they excite you? Did you feel energized by the very thought of making more money, getting in shape, changing your eating program? I didn’t hear a rousing chorus of “Amen sister.” Do your goals and intentions for a better you feel like shoulds vs must-haves-gotta-dos-cant’-waits-wanna-get-started-nows? Hmm, “Houston, we have a problem.”

The problem is that without a positive emotion the best intentions in the world won’t get you anywhere. Why? Because we are sentient, that is, feeling beings. Our feelings move us. In order to get out of our comfort zones we must feel some excitement for the thing that isn’t comfortable.

This isn’t all though, we must have some accountability and a plan. So here’s what I’m going to do and I’ve got some homework for you. In the next week I’m going to write 7 tips to help you set goals  you can be excited about.  I’m also going to recommend some accountability tools–some of which are free, all of which I know to be powerful.

Here is your homework. Review your last 12 months looking for the successes. What a concept huh? Instead of focusing on what you didn’t get done dig around for what you learned, what you did accomplish, who you loved, what surprised you, the sunsets that delighted you, the dress or pants you wore that made you feel al-that-and-a-bag-of-chips. I’d write them down if you want to get the most from this exercise. As you remember these positive moments of the past year I want you to remember how you felt. Write that down too.

That’s it, this is a very strong place to start to fashion a plan for creating what you want your new year to look and feel like.

Let me know what comes up for you in the comment section. Others will benefit from your ahas and realizations as will I.

I’m a big fan of the concept of inspired action. What’s that you ask? It’s an action we take because we had a thought pop up that had an emotional connection when it arose.

Like what? Like seeing a book, DVD, or CD series in a store or on a website and even though it’s not something you’d usually be attracted to,  you want to buy and try it. Or you suddenly want to sign up for a support group for changing your eating habits that meets once per week. (”are you nuts” I hear someone scream from the back of the room, “never gonna happen.” But it might if you are open and let go of the controls)

The inspired action is the follow through. 

Well here’s a DVD that I’m excited to see that just might be the tool you need to get you started or help you stay with your chosen program and see even more results. It’s called Think and Get Slim and it’s the latest production from Esther and Jerry Hicks via Abraham. If you are not familiar with the teachings of Abraham be open and check out their website. If you have had the pleasure I encourage you to watch the 10 minute sample from the 2 DVD set. And if you’ve not been to their site in awhile I think you’ll love the new look. Don’t miss the free audio files and comments from Abraham on the state of our economy and more.

Change is all about doing what’s not comfortable at first. And living midlife with a vengeance has plenty of room for good changes and uncomfortable feelings because let’s face it, at this point, most of us are pretty darn comfortable–even if we don’t like the picture we’ve painted. 

If not a new DVD then what’s in your toolbox for creating your best new year?

Don’t wear your fat clothes! Or toss on your gym pants, yoga pants, baggy Ts, or other loose clothing every morning to start y our day. Obviously I’m speaking to women who work from home and can wear pretty much anything–or nothing–to write, coach, and anything else self employed types keep themselves busy with. It’s easy, we want to be comfortable, “no one’s going to see me” and all the rest of the reasons are valid. But not when we are fighting to keep the holiday 5 at bay.

I am guilty of the gym and yoga pants but mine are fitted. I feel when they feel tight, it moves me out the door to use them for their intended purpose–exercise. It’s all too easy to put on loose clothing every day oblivious to the 2 and then 3 then 4 pounds that are sneaking in to roost.

One night we must show up at a client party or other function and ouch! the fave black pants are snug or the perfect little cocktail dress seems to have been shrunk by the dry cleaner. So we go out in our once comfortable going-out-in-public duds sucking in our gut or sitting “just so” mostly so the seems don’t burst, get through the night, get home, rip these torture devices off and slip silently and blissfully back into our pjs or sweats. 

To lounge at night and sleep, by all means get comfy. But if you are looking for ways to stay on top of holiday fare as it relates to your thighs put on real clothes every morning. If you’ve got to sit at your computer with your muffin top as company you might pass up that chocolate dipped macaroon that’s been calling your name all morning.

It’s a small thing but success in whatever we do is always a series of small things repeated over and over.