by Lauren Mackler
Feel like your life is out of control? You are not alone. In today’s world, demands on our time and energy are at an all-time high. When we feel overwhelmed, over-extended and exhausted, life seems out of control. One of the greatest challenges in achieving life balance is finding time to work on our long-term goals. It requires commitment, discipline and practice.
Define what you want (Goals)
Think about what your long-term goals are. These could include anything. For instance, you might want to:[ad#Solemate]
- Increase your physical energy
- Have more time for yourself
- Spend more time with family
- Advance your education
- Pursue an avocation or hobby
- Make a career change
Step 1: Commit to yourself (Commitment)
- Write yourself a contract.
- Enhance confidence by speaking positively about your commitment.
- Break your goal down into incremental levels of success.
- Visualize your success by imagining you have already achieved the next level and how it feels.
Step 2: Develop a follow-through plan (Discipline)
- It is better to devote a realistic amount of time and to be consistent than to commit more time and not follow through.
- Set aside just 10 – 20 minutes each day/week in the beginning.
- To create time, list all your responsibilities and try to reduce the list. Some ideas might include:
- Hiring a neighbor to walk the dog.
- Hire a house-cleaning service once a week.
- Being flexible about non essential activities:
- Does the car need to be washed today?
- Can your partner help out?
- Don’t be afraid to ask!
Step 3: Make it a reality (Practice)
- Once you feel comfortable, try to increase the time spent to 20 – 40 minutes each day/week. Always keep it manageable.
- Break down the goal into realistic segments (levels of success).
- Set levels of success that can be achieved within 2 week increments.
- Include rewards at each level of success.
© 2012 Lauren Mackler
Lauren Mackler is a world-renowned coach and author of the international bestseller Solemate: Master the Art of Aloneness & Transform Your Life. To sign up for her free Live Boldly e-newsletter, click here.
