As you know, there are so many ways to have greater satisfaction in your life. And there are so many disciplines that help people live happy and fulfilled lives. What sets coaching apart from other modalities is that coaching raises your internal awareness and connects you with your deepest desires and greatest wants, THEN, and this is the important part, coaching helps you be accountable for the results you want.
Yes, coaching is about learning about yourself but the real juice is in ACTION and ACCOUNTABILITY.
Here are 10 things that you can do to improve your life TODAY!
1. Be intentional with your thoughts. Your life is a continuous creation and your thoughts are a key part of what creates your life. How your thoughts make you feel is your personal radar letting you know whether your thoughts are serving you and your life or not. If your thoughts make you feel good, GREAT! If your thoughts make you feel bad, make a concerted effort to shift your thought. This is bigger than “positive thinking” this is about taking control of our unique human endowment—our ability to control our thoughts.
2. Be honest with yourself and others. I really believe that it takes small bits of our soul to not speak our truth. Even white lies can wear away at your character. More important than your relationship with others is your relationship with yourself. Being honest is one of the best ways to honor yourself. Strive for self-integrity.
3. Be kind to yourself and others. Like honesty, kindness and compassion feed the soul. When you find yourself being really tough on yourself think about how you would be and what you would say to your best friend. When you are being really tough with someone else (most often our nearest and dearest) think about whether your best friend would still be your best friend if you treated them this way.
4. Relax. I know it is easier said than done but worrying and stressing gets us nowhere fast. When you find yourself full of anxiety and frustration about something (a line, traffic) ask yourself if, in a week, in a month, in a year, will this really matter.
5. Be thankful. And I don’t mean a quick “thanks”. I mean really look around the room you are in, the company you keep, the sky, your health, your children, your dog, whatever it is that you can genuinely be thankful for and let yourself really feel that appreciation. When you are full of appreciation, your perspective on life shifts for the better.
6. Don’t over-schedule yourself. Whether it is your way of being helpful or the nature of what your professional or personal life demands, saying yes to too many things is saying a big fat NO to your well-being. Don’t bother yourself or others with long explanations, simply say “I can’t” when you can’t. Honor the preciousness of your time and only do the things you really WANT to do.
7. Tell the people you love that you love them. Very similar to being thankful and being honest, letting people you care for know that you love them feeds their soul and yours. Don’t ever assume that they “know” you do. Letting people know how you feel WILL matter in a week, month and year from now.
8. Be quiet. As little as 15 minutes a day of quiet time can make a profound difference in the quality of your life. Don’t be afraid, it doesn’t have to be meditation (and it can be) but turn off your cell phone, close your door, no t.v., no radio, get comfortable, close your eyes, and enjoy your own company.
9. Take care of yourself. I know that you know what to do to take care of yourself. It is what your grandmother and your mother taught you—eat breakfast, drink water, exercise, and get plenty of rest but so many of us say I’ll start tomorrow, or on Monday… There are thousands of excuses AND there are NONE. We all have the same number of minutes and hours in the day and the only separation between people who take good care of themselves and people who don’t is a decision.
10. Get a Life Coach. Seriously. If you are interested in how to make your okay life phenomenal, then get a life coach.
These are just a few things you can do to improve your life. If you are thinking, that sounds great but who has time, or let’s get real here—I have to make a living and I have a life—then you are not making time for things that really matter. I can show you how to have your daily actions reflect your deepest values and desires. And if you are thinking , I know all this and have tried but it just doesn’t stick, then you are putting yourself and your life on the back burner while you put out fires—where is your joy? Where is your passion? You deserve to have it all and together we can create it.
All my best,
Pamela