Kathy Gates, Professional Life Coach
www.reallifecoach.com
© 2004
Can you believe a New Year is here already? I
believe wholeheartedly in setting goals, setting
intentions, deciding what you will do over the
next year. However, I also think it's equally
important to know what not to do.
Try these Anti-Resolutions to add some Don'ts
to
your day, and see how it helps with all those
Do's.
"I will not over-schedule my day."
It seems like scheduling every minute would be the
logical way to get everything done, but it
actually tends to work against you. Some things
will take longer than you expected, some things
will interfere that you can't predict. If you're
scheduled to the max, you'll have no room to
absorb them, things will overrun, and frustration
will set in. Instead, aim for about 75%
scheduled, 25% free.
"I will not say Yes to everything."
Saying Yes to everything is like cholesterol - it
clogs your day with stuff you don't want there.
Doing other people's work, answering annoying
phone calls, deleting junk emails rob you of
valuable time and energy. Realize that for every
Yes Activity, you have also created a No Activity.
Make sure you are saying Yes to what you intend
to.
"I will no longer put what I want at the
moment
over what I want in the long run."
That extra 20 minutes of sleep in the morning
might seem like the best thing since sliced peanut
butter, but you know it will only make you late,
and then playing catch up the rest of the day.
That new pair of shoes may seem like the last pair
you'll ever need, but if it makes the rent money
tight, it's not worth it. Think about the long
term effects of your actions today.
"I will no longer get duped into the "I
can have
it all" idea."
Having it all is certainly possible, either by
having it at different times in your life, or by
having a whole lot of help (think Kelly Ripa or
Katie Couric). Their few spare minutes are
certainly not spent grocery shopping or cleaning
bathrooms. So please, lose the Super-Woman idea
attached to it.
"I will no longer get trapped in media microwave
mentality."
Things take time. Life is not a sit-com, and few
things are resolved in 30 minutes or less.
Appreciate the various stages of projects and
goals as well as the outcome. Goals, home
projects, or getting a degree, or even getting
your schedule organized are all a process.
Determine to make each day as special as the end
result.
"I won't give up."
Never give up. When you mess up, or when the wind
of life comes barreling in unannounced - and it
will - being prepared as best you can will give
you the strength to be able to move on. When it
seems like there's no answer, push on. The answer
may be just around the next corner. Don't let
fear, or anger, or frustration, or your money, or
your in-laws, stop you from living your life. Keep
going. This is your year!
