I have it! I have selected my WORD OF THE YEAR for 2015.
This is something we like to do in the coaching community, where we have all these cool techniques that help with taking the yucky stuff of life and sifting through it until we find the gold – and that is what the WOTY exercise helps you do.
Just pick a word that sums up how you want to experience the coming year (in every area of your life -family, health, financial, relationships, spirituality etc…) and consider how this word can be applied across these areas. Then when you go to your calendar, day timer, planner, goal worksheet etc… bring it back to your WOTY.
Ask yourself — ‘Will this bring more ______ to my life?
So for 2014 my WOTY was ‘FREEDOM’.
Let me explain.
As most of you know prior to 2014 I was really struggling.
The way I had arranged my life had left me feeling trapped and burnt out, and I knew something had to shift. Not only was I affected but my husband and kids were too. Signing up for Martha Beck’s Coaching program last December and launching my coaching practice were two big changes in my life that led me to a new found sense of FREEDOM and a better fit for the needs of all members of my family, including myself.
So are you curious about this year’s word?
Well my Word Of The Year for 2015 is ‘EASE’.
WHY THE STRUGGLE?
I was listening to one of my coaching mentors Martha Beck speak recently, and she talked about life not always having to be forced, that we were not made for ‘the grind’ but made for joy. That instead of constantly feeling like we are pushing boulders up hills, we need to create lives that have more joy and ease as opposed to more work and stress.
Forcing, pushing, grasping – all these words signify struggle and they usually come with a big old dose of fear. Why are we grasping? Why are we working so hard? Why aren’t we going with the flow?
The magic happens when we EASE up and let go of the need to control. If you meditate on this you can see it makes sense. A lot of people, (myself included) gravitate towards busyness and overwork which I believe masks our constant need for control, often in situations where we have absolutely no power. And underneath all that lies some kind of fear.
To develop as a human being we need to look at the WHY our actions.
So in 2014 , after experiencing freedom (which included a lot of work & change), I decided EASE looked pretty good, so I am going for it! And when I mapped out 2015 I kept this intention front and centre. This way I will take care in regards to over scheduling, or saying ‘yes’ to things I really want to say ‘no’ to, and of not pushing myself too hard.
In order to increase my clarity around my ideas for the coming year, I ordered myself a funky planner from Aussi business coach Leonie Dawson and over the last few days have been mapping out my biz & personal plans for the coming year to ensure I achieve my goals with EASE.
An investment in time was required to get it all down on paper, and my husband helped by taking the boys out of town for a few days (yes he is awesome!) but it feels good to be done and I now have a vision of how I would like to move forward this year.
What About You My Friend?
Were you able to set aside some time for rest and reflection over the holidays? I hope you did because analysis of what worked for you last year and what did not IS important. Do you feel you are on track with your life? Do you have appropriate balance?
Balance isn’t just for ballerinas you know!
Setting an intention, choosing a WOTY, mapping out your future and setting goals are all ways to ensure that you will get the balance you need.
What do you feel you want more of? Or less of? These are important questions.
Let the energy of the new year move you!
Today’s post is a bit longer than usual as it contains more information than usual, as my hopes are that you will tap into the spirit of this new year and start creating the life you truly crave – and that means setting some goals. Yes it sounds super boring but goal setting is critical if you want to move forward in life and identifying goals goes hand in hand with reflection & analysis.
I hope you did give yourself some down time in recent days to ponder the year that was. If you didn’t, maybe you were too busy -that is OK, It isn’t too late, heck you can do it right now if you have a quiet moment, because I am giving you my….
… 5 Keys to an Epic Year:
- reflection
- buzz word for 2015
- set goals
- know your why
- get an entourage
I recommend that you take the 5 keys to heart so you can be proactive this year instead of reactive. You don’t want to be buffeted around by the winds of fate, getting turned around by anything that rolls into your path, because that is an EXHAUSTING way to live (I know because I have lived this scenario for too many years to admit!)
So lets say you have;
1) done some reflecting, you have selected your 2) WOTY and now you are ready to 3) set some goals.
By setting goals you are illustrating to yourself and the world that you have an intention, you have a purpose and that you are designing a life of YOUR CHOOSING not just letting life happen to you.
We aren’t talking about new years resolutions here ladies either. Goals are different because…
Goals = Dreams
Resolutions are usually dead in the water by noon on January 1st. I know this because at that time this year I could be found on my couch biting the head off a chocolate Santa after considering giving up sugar for good (ha,ha,ha, – luckily I came to my senses and ‘giving up’ has been downgraded to the more realistic ‘eat less’!)
Goals are not always the big grand announcements like; “I will run the Boston marathon” or “I will lose 20 pounds this year” etc… instead they can be small but very significant.
For instance one of my family goals is to ensure my son Oliver gets proper tutoring & speech language in 2015, and by writing this down and arranging my schedule to accommodate this I am ensuring, to the best of my ability, it WILL happen.
It is also a good idea to check in with yourself when setting goals and to 4) make sure that you have an answer to the why question.
You Gotta Know Your Why
“Why do you want to run the Boston Marathon?”
“Why do you want to lose 20 pounds?”
“Why do you want to be happier?”
*Remember with goal setting it is crucial to be clear on the why and the goals need to be specific.
If your why answer is vague like; “I want to bring peace to the world.” Thats’ not going to work.
But if you answered; “I want to set up a theatre group in Gaza comprised of both Israeli and Palestinian children and have them put on a play about the importance of communication and non violence.“ OK now we’re talking!
Be specific, it will up your chances of sticking to your plan and achieving your goal.
5) Make Sure You Roll With A Decent Entourage
“You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.”
– Jim Rohn (American entrepreneur, author and motivational speaker)
That quote always causes me to stop and think- who do I spend most of my time with? How is that working for me? Am I trying to do it all on my own? Do I need to seek out mentors to push my boundaries?
It is important to surround yourself with people who will ELEVATE YOU and who are also making positive changes in their own lives. For example I don’t need to tell you how tough it will be to make some health or dietary changes when your significant other is determined to have you stay as you are now. That type of situation can be a real challenge.
If you feel you are lacking in support in this area and you need someone else to up your game, look around and create that support system for yourself- you can enlist a mentor (someone who is doing what you want to do), or an enthusiastic friend who also wants to make positive changes in their life, or hire a coach to assist you-that is exactly what we coaches are for.
The 5 Keys to an Epic Year RECAP
- Set aside some time for reflection and run through what worked for you last year and what didn’t, and identify what you could do differently
- Select a ‘buzz word’ or a theme for 2015 one that signifies how you want to experience the year
- Set goals in the following areas;
-personal
-health
-family / relationships
-work / business / financial
-physical
-spiritual
4. Make sure you know the answer to the why questions (why are you setting those specific goals?) and whatever the reason it better move you on a really primal level otherwise the mojo you need will not be there. So follow the mojo!
5. Get yourself a decent entourage (support system) whether it be friends, family, a community mentor, or someone you hire.
That’s it! Pretty straightforward isn’t it?
Follow this and you will be well on your way to creating your own EPIC YEAR!
VIP SECTION!
And if you are interested in being my VIP (Very Special Person) and getting some one on one personal attention from me while we clarify your intentions & map out YOUR Epic Year so your dreams can become a reality in 2015
click here http://www.fullflightlifecoaching.com/mapping-shiny-new-year/
“Oh, it’s delightful to have ambitions. I’m so glad I have such a lot. And there never seems to be any end to them– that’s the best of it. Just as soon as you attain to one ambition you see another one glittering higher up still. It does make life so interesting.”
– Lucy Maude Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables
Hope you found this useful and if you think it could benefit someone else please share this post.
Thanks for allowing me space in your in-box everyone and Happy New Year!
xo
Elizabeth
life & biz plans for 2015-completed!