A New Month … How Far Are You?

I had such a wonderful time last night at a school event and I woke up today feeling refreshing, renewed and ready for March!!! Over the last few weeks, I have watched dream after dream come true for friends and associates: book deals, thriving businesses, admissions letters – including my own – to further graduate study . It has been a wonderful year thus far with an abundance of love, success in many areas as I still thumb my way through in others, and an overflow of things to look forward to. As I skimmed through Facebook on a study break, I came across this post from a friend so on today I ask how is 2014 panning out for you? Do you remember your New Year resolutions? How are they going thus far? Have you reassessed your goals? Have you given up? Where do you stand – or sit – on March 1st, 2014? 

By the time the clock strikes 12:00 a.m. on March 1, we would have spent 1416 hours of 2014 any which way we wanted to. Pause.

Do you feel great about how you’ve invested that much time? During an honest reflection can you see ways in which you have re-strategized and re-evaluated your efforts where necessary, or injected a new mindset where applicable? Is there a plan or are we just ‘winging’ it?

In a few blinks we will be mid-way what we’ve claimed as our best year yet and it most certainly can be with four simple words at the helm:

Get Real With Yourself.

10 Questions for Starters:

What is it you really want to do and what have you fed yourself as the reason why it will not, might not, more than likely not happen for you? Before moving forward rinse your thoughts of that thinking and know this to be very true: all things are working together for you — often not on your timeline or in line with your plan, but everything — even poor thinking attracts things into your life.

Are you following your own dreams or what others suggested you should pursue? The only thing that compares to following a dream someone else fed you, is working towards a dream based primarily on artificial rewards versus the things you’re truly passionate about. That lingering void will still exist long after the glitz and glam has faded. Every dream simply wants to be born. Don’t cheat yourself.

What is your problem resolution process? Simply put, things will go against our expectations, how we deal with them determines how we move forward or not. Still stuck on a few things that did not go as planned? You’re here in this time, let go of it, and decide to move completely forward. Whining, rehearsing, mourning what hasn’t happened {yet} will ironically create a domino effect of other delays. Be in this moment. Stay open.

Fear aside, who are 5 people you admire and would love to meet with to pick their brain during coffee talk or e-convo? Now muscle up the courage to connect and take the leap to speak about your dreams and your fears with people who for whatever the reason have your attention. You are going to blow your own mind… and theirs. You will be surprised.

If someone asked you today, “who are you” What would your honest response be? Life challenges us with that question daily. Are we really showing up or not?

What are something’s you think about doing personally or professionally but have not moved forward in action? Promise yourself to do one small thing each day that scares you just a wee bit. It could be anything from having a career chat with your superior to sharing your fears openly with a friend. Little things add courage and rich experiences to your life. As I often say, exposure is your friend. Being free, your bestie.

Have you given yourself a pass and made others accountable for where you are in your life? Perhaps kept yourself stuck in what someone else did, did not do, or said about you? Once we get real with the role we have played it frees us from anger and offers experiences from which learning takes place. Own your life story and know whenever you decide to write future chapters another way, the blank sheets of paper are waiting for you.

Who and what belongs in your life during this season? Just like biting into a green fruit or an overly ripe one leaves a bad taste in your mouth, similarly things and people being out of season in your life is not a pleasant experience. It’s just not quite right. Resist the urge to hold on to what or who your intuition told you to let go of. Rest in the truth that never leads you astray.

Does how you feel take the leading role in how you manage this business we call life? Those who accomplish much work through moments when they didn’t ‘feel’ like it because of their hunger for their dreams. When we take action only when we feel like it, we will look back at our days and see clearly it wasn’t someone else who stopped us from accomplishing our dreams, but rather our emotions that stood in the way.

Are you being fair to yourself by being your only measurement stick or do you find your thoughts whisperings saying things such as “you’re not as smart as; as pretty as; as talented as; as good at_____ as…” and on and on that goes. So often, we deny ourselves our uniqueness by being engulfed by someone else’s gifts. In so doing we run the risk of trying to emulate them instead of being kind to ourselves and acknowledging our marvelous selves. Reserve the right to be yourself. 

Bonus: So, what are you going to do with your time?

Let 2014 be the year we can truthfully say I gave life — all parts of it, everything I had.