Don’t you love new things? New puppies. Fresh bed sheets. Hot cookies. Things are enticing at the beginning!
When a new year is just beginning, most of us are optimistic and excited to see what the next phase of life is going to hold. Don’t leave your future to chance. Here are six habits that will make a positive difference in your attitude, actions, and results.

FOCUS FIRST
Start each day with intentional focus. Just as a sprinter takes time before a race to get his/her feet planted securely in the starting blocks, take time to get solidly grounded in each new day. A life coaching tip is to begin with a blank page in a journal, which can become symbolic of a brand new blank day. My rambling thoughts help me see what is most important to me at that moment. From there, it’s easy to jot down my daily to-do list. I try to keep it manageable – no more than 5 items for one day. Then, I’M OFF AND RUNNING!

MOVE
Get out of your head and into your body. Sometimes we think too much. When you find yourself under stress, (and we ALL stress from time to time) get up and move. Take a walk. Get down on the floor and do ten sit-ups. Find some rock and roll music and dance! We are created with body, mind, and spirit – but in our hectic lives it’s common to spend a disproportionate amount of time in our mind. Use your body and feel better.

EXPECT GOOD
Good things happen every single day, no matter what your life situation is. A life coaching trick is to notice them. Problems demand our attention, but good things are easy to overlook as ordinary, normal, and no-big-deal. Flip that thinking upside down! Expect to see kindness and beauty in your days. Then, when you glimpse it make it a big deal! An executive coaching client who shows up on time for a meeting streamlines the day – and that’s a big deal. A pitcher of ice water in a meeting is an extra kindness, so appreciate that. Expect good things in your days and you will find them.

SAY NO
Whenever you say “yes” to something, you’re saying “no” to something else. Stop being all things to all people – chances are it’s not working anyway. Make decisions that are in alignment with your passions and you’ll find energy and cheerfulness to profoundly impact your career, your relationships, and your own well-being. The fact is that we only have 24 hours in each day, and some of those need to be used for sleeping. Say “no” to things that are eating up your time but not making a difference in your life.

CLAIM ADVENTURE
Take a leap! Get out of a rut! What are the things you’re wishing you could see or do? This is the year to pick one and put it on your calendar. An adventure gives you a new story to tell and makes you more interesting to your customers, employees, and even your wife or husband! The ho-hum life has got to go. It’s a waste of your valuable years.

END THANKFULLY
Gratitude is the most commonly recognized characteristic in happy people. End each day with a quiet moment to think back through the blessings of your day. Choose one situation, one person, or one image that was particularly positive for you that day. Focus completely on that moment, remembering details that were pleasing. Let this be the last thought in your mind as you fall peacefully asleep. Sweet dreams!

A new year! You know that new puppies piddle on the carpet, fresh bed sheets get wrinkled, and hot cookies turn old and crunchy. The smart thing to do is to grab the newness that is here today – right now. Use the positive emotions of these days to cast your vision and write a specific plan that will impact all of the upcoming year. You can get to a better place in your life when you take action.
For additional assistance moving to that better place in your own life, call me. Life coaching helps smart, healthy people clarify what they want, focus on specifics they can change, find motivation to take action, analyze their actions, and then take action again! Do you want a better career, happier marriage, energized workplace, more peaceful home, or greater satisfaction with who you’ve become? It will be my honor to be your life coach on those paths.