Posts Tagged ‘Life Coach’

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Social Networking Genius?

Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011

Sometimes we fall into the habit of thinking life revolves around us—our individual thoughts, our feelings, our behaviors. Not so.  The recent use of texting is sending us in a downward spiral as far as relationships goes, because we’re not becoming more socially adept, we’re becoming more narcissistic. Yes, we’re now connected to more people than ever before, but the “connection” is not there. We get into trouble when a majority of our time “connecting” to other people is not spent face-to-face.  Our relationships go down the drain when we depend on social media as the platform for our dating and marriage relationships.

We’re in unchartered territory. The social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, and YouTube aren’t helping us either. They are great ways to stay informed about what people are doing, but they don’t necessarily convey how they are doing. When we communicate verbal communication only makes up 3% of how we interpret what we are seeing/hearing. We begin navigating our life story from an increasingly lonely place—interpreting the output of messages someone input into a machine, and then using a machine to read the words. We lose the feelings and meanings behind the words. Let’s focus on some helpful guidelines for texting, so we can use this capability as a tool to enhance our relationships. While these tips are for dating and married relationships, they are also germane for the texts you send to other loved ones (people with whom you have an emotional attachment to such as best friends and family).

  1. Recognize text and instant messaging is NOT a substitute for face-to-face interaction.

While it saves time and lets us send information about ourselves to more people, it is not a replacement for spending time with someone in person.

  1. Use text and instant messaging as a last resort if there is anything emotional involved.

To put it bluntly, do not fight while texting. When we are upset and arguing we already tend to not “hear” the other person’s point of view. Texting amplifies this, and makes it worse, because our brains are stuck in fight or flight mode—so everything we text is subject to misinterpretation.

Men and women use communication for different reasons. Men typically communicate to solve problems. Often they do not respond to a situation, until they’ve figured out a solution. If you’re having a discussion with the opposite sex, and you are texting, it can create a lot of tension, because women naturally use more words (I think it around 600 words extra) a day then men. Translate this to texting, and women are going to text more content then men. Generally, women communicate to connect with others. Using texting to connect is NOT having a relationship. A lot of what women write may be read, and then disregarded, because if you’re a man you may not respond unless you can solve the issue.

  1. Use text and instant messaging to make date/time/location plans.

The only thing that cannot be misunderstood is when you set a time to meet up. This is because emotions are not involved, you’re relaying information. And you are using text messaging to convey information, not to have an entire conversation.

This is perhaps the only valid reason to use texting in a relationship. If you choose to use texting predominantly for this reason only, then you will save yourself much grief with whomever you’re dating or married.

  1. When in doubt about how your message will be understood, do NOT text!

If you doubt how someone will interpret what your write, and it involves personal things, then do not use texting to send the message. We often think up things to say on social media platforms to draw attention to ourselves. This does not translate to texting with people you care about, because they are already invested in you, and you do not need to bait or entice them to respond. If you do, then the relationship may have dysfunctional or co-dependent aspects that are not based on honest feedback and open communication. On social media sites to get people to click through, and find out more about what we’re doing or thinking, we often post things that are ambiguous and create curiosity by the reader/viewer. However, if you’re dealing with a situation or conversation with your partner that has emotions involved such as jealousy, anger, or betrayal involved…chances are you do NOT want to leave even more room open for interpretation.

The bottom line for using texting ethically, and so our relationships have a chance at survival is to use it to pass information that does not need context or have feelings involved that bring up trust issues. Use text messaging and social media to pass information, not to have entire conversations. Use it as a tool, not a crutch. And, if you question how someone may interpret what you wrote, then wait until you are in person. As a last resort you could use video chat, Skype, or a phone call—because face-to-face is always the best way to form and keep lasting, long-term relationships.

Lyndsay Katauskas, MEd

Mars Venus Coaching

Corporate Media Relations

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Staycation Today

Monday, October 31st, 2011

Now that Labor Day is over, school has started, and fall is on its way—are you already craving a vacation? Including fun and play every day in your life—whether it is alone, with your family, with friends, or even colleagues is a necessity. If you’re not doing little things each day, then how you fix this is by writing it down, and then doing it! Planning a daily mini-staycation everyday can do wonders for your health, your self-esteem, your happiness, and your relationships too. Sometimes we get stuck in a rut where we become too bogged down by all the pressure at work and of keeping up our home, and caring for loved ones, that we forget that our bodies need and crave downtime. Creating daily breaks where you relax is not a luxury, even though we sometimes treat it as such. Even with the economy, everyone has time for play. It is inexpensive, keeps you young, and the only thing holding you back is you.

It is not a guilty pleasure to stop what you’re doing and just have fun. The only way to ensure that you have free play time every day is to plan for it. How?

  1. Go grab your calendar, planner, or cell phone—whatever you use to keep track of your appointments.
  2. Block out at least two times every day. How long you ask? Start with 15 minute blocks if you’re crunched for time. Some people can go all out & splurge with an hour or two a day. If you’re not convinced yet that you’re worth this amount of time to have fun, then choose a smaller amount of time, and work yourself up to the 1 or 2 hour option.
  3. During one block of time plan an activity such as:

Dancing,

Running like a kid—key here is to run with abandon, maybe kick a ball around too?

Playing with the dog (or kids)

Tickling the dog (kids or spouse are welcome to join in or be tickled too!)

Sing (in the shower, at the top of your lungs in the woods or in the house)

  1. During the second block of time—be spontaneous.

If you don’t have kids, borrow them! But do something that makes you laugh.

Fingerpaint

Dance to a favorite song

Play Barbie if you have them—or do something you loved to do as kid

Hopscotch anyone?

Recent studies show that even if you feel depressed, or are in a funk—if you can find something that makes you laugh, then your mood will improve. Likewise, if you engage in a physical activity—mood improves as well, because of the hormones and endorphins released in your body.

  1. Use an accountability partner. If you block out your time, and then find yourself fizzling out on following through (even if it’s only after a day of not taking the time for fun), then grab an accountability partner—such as a spouse, best friend, friend, co-worker, family member, or a coach.

Someone that holds you accountable ensures that a staycation everyday will happen. It takes at least 90 days, and often much more time to change behaviors, and then have them become a habit. You can alleviate future trips to the doctor, to a therapist, and fights if you take the time to nurture the part of you that craves fun, excitement, and joy. It’s not just a mood lifter, your spirit is fulfilled too.

Lyndsay Katauskas, MEd

Mars Venus Coaching

Corporate Media Relations

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Shaky Ground, Clear Heart

Thursday, October 27th, 2011

The epicenter in Mineral, Virginia, of where the 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck on August 23, 2011, was less than 30 miles from me. With telephone lines down, it looked like the 4th of July with people over 300 miles away immediately posting updates on their Facebook pages to let friends and family know what happened and that they were okay. Life is always full of uncertainties. Sometimes it takes a natural occurrence like an earthquake not near a fault line or a tornado in an uncommon location to make us stop for a second and check in with our priorities.

I grew up in Alaska with daily earthquakes throughout the state. Earthquake drills are common practice at school, and watching blinds shake or being rolled out of bed was the norm. When things began creaking and shaking I instinctively scooped up dog and kid and found myself waiting out the groaning, rattling, rumblings in our nearest, sturdiest doorframe. I was calmly explaining to my soon to be preschooler that the earth was shaking like big dinosaurs stomping around outside.

I figured why not relate this to one of his beloved books so it was a fun adventure, rather than a potential disaster? He asked if we should put our shoes on, and I said—“sure honey, when the chandelier stops swinging and the trees outside stop their staccato swaying.” Using big vocabulary,made me stay in the logical part of my brain so I would stay calm rather than let my monkey brain create panic for us. Like all kids, he easily picks up the emotional nuances in our voices and faces to tell him how he should react—the shaking stopped and he was excited to put on his shoes and explore outside as we checked for cracks. With my military background my mind was also assessing the situation and hoping it was only an earthquake, and not another attack like 9-11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon inflicted by human beings angry at other human beings.

As I checked in with family and friends, I also found clients checking in with me. This brings me to my point: relationships. I created my business so I could spread and share unconditional love with as many people as possible. I believe we can all learn more life resiliency skills so are relationships are healthier, and we’re able to stay more focused on the present and attaining our goals—which often correlate to cultivating and sharing our talents with others.

Mars Venus Coaching based on John Gray’s, Ph.D., wide-body of male/female relationship dynamics is different from other coaching systems, because it focuses on helping people to understand how to communicate with different types of people so they are valued, respected, and heard. Coaching is also different from traditional forms of therapy, because the focus is on the present and creating 90-day action plans that daily step clients’ closer to their life purpose and goals.

I believe we’re only here on Earth for a blink of an eye, and if we have our priorities straight, then we’re engaging with other people and making their lives a little easier to live and bear. There is a lot of potential to be self-involved, greedy, evil, judgmental, and close-minded. When we focus our attention in this direction, then we take our energy away from what I believe is our main purpose: relationships. Having successful relationships professionally and personally is a life well-lived. Your daily interactions with others, and how many close, quality relationships you have are indicators of whether or not you’re making a difference in the world.

Where were you and what were you thinking about when the 2.8, 2.2, 4.2, and 3.4 aftershocks in Central Virginia occurred in the ensuing hours? Did you even feel them? If you were nearby and felt any of the shaking—did you check in with family and friends? If you were further away and new of loved ones somewhere along the affected eastern coast of America did you check on them? At the end of each day, regardless if there has been a life event that makes you wonder if you have your priorities straight—are you doing ALL you can do to express your gratitude and love for the people that make a difference in your life? Boot anger and low self-confidence out, and focus on what makes your relationships richer and more fulfilling—engage in the now, every day. Achieve your life goals.

Lyndsay Katauskas, MEd

Mars Venus Coaching

Corporate Media Relations

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Gender Intelligent Communication to Increase Women’s Status, Part 1

Monday, October 3rd, 2011

Article for Forbes 2.7.11:

After reading and witnessing last week’s recent outpouring of opinion on what did and did not happen at Davos, why women are still not ascending and staying at the top of corporations, and why previous solutions have been lip service rather than a long term fix, I ask that you open your mind to the possibility of a quick, yet long-term fix to increase the status of women in the corporate world. I sense there is an undercurrent of paranoia and hysteria being felt by the references to Groundhogs day, and the frustration about why the numbers aren’t equalizing at the top of the leadership pyramid. These feelings of uneasiness are in response to many of us run ragged by constant low-grade stress. When we address the underlying issue of helping ourselves and each other to incorporate stress reduction into our daily life, especially while at work (where we spend most of our waking time), the actual fix pretty much comes down to common sense. However, the common sense is uncommon knowledge at this point in time. The solution I refer to is introducing gender intelligent communication into professional development training.

Whenever I ask people if they are familiar with the term men are from Mars, women are from Venus, there tends to be an instant lighting up of the eyes, and intake of breath. This term coined by John Gray , Ph.D. when he wrote his best-selling book of that title back in 1992 is now considered to be part our society’s vernacular. However, when is the last time you’ve picked up any of John Gray’s, Ph.D. books? There are now too many books (16 and counting) for a high-level executive, or really anyone for that matter who has both a career and family to tend to sit down and devote good chunks of time to read and assimilate the information. Instead of reading all of the literature, the following is a quick synopsis of why implementing this quick fix is imperative, not only for women to remain and ascend in the corporate world, but also why it needs to be done in order to re-balance and give quality of life back to everyone in this fast-paced, high-tech world.

Back in 1992 John Gray, Ph.D. provided an easy way to understand the fact that men and women communicate differently, and if we want better relationships, we have to learn the other’s dialect so we can speak the same language. Now, in 2011, we understand the research behind why we communicate differently, and the message is now more urgent than ever, because not only are women not climbing in corporate, but we’re doing irreversible damage to our bodies, and the families we are currently growing. It is imperative that the culture in corporate shift for good now that we understand the revolution of men and women are created equal to be an unexamined assumption and unrealistic expectation. Men and women are uniquely different genders, and the latest research is showing how our unique natures and physiology are meant to complement the other gender.

So to get back to the point we must saturate the “market” by doing just this: while at work teach how men and women communicate differently in workshops. It is imperative, because right now women are up against a brick wall when it comes to fitting into a culture that disregards their unique gender-based contributions of working and relating to others. Stand by for part two about why teaching workshops on gender intelligent communication is the common sense approach and quick fix for a long term solution.

Lyndsay Katauskas, MEd

Corporate Media Relations

Mars Venus Coaching

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6 Ways Our Heaters Stop Loving & Our A/C Gets Stuck

Friday, May 20th, 2011

At Mars Venus Coaching we use words like: love tank and love heater. Regardless of the terminology we use, when it comes to relationships we are all looking for the same thing: love. We want our partner to love us for who we are with our limitations, after all we’re not perfect. But can we really love our partner for who they are after we’ve experienced their daily limitations and imperfections? If we feel any blame toward our partner, it makes it even more difficult to accept, understand, and forgive our partners limitations. Learning to love them when times are difficult is when our love actually grows. Having an open heart, rather than a closed one is how to make unconditional love automatic.

Our hearts close up when we don’t work to address past feelings that threaten our current relationships. If we weren’t told as children it was okay to have some of these feelings, and that we would still be loved; then it is something we need to do for ourselves as adults so we can grow, mature, and have healthy adult relationships. We tend to repeat patterns, until we learn a new way to break them, and move on. Beneath each of the ways we stop loving our partners there is a solution for how to overcome these tendencies. Generally speaking women relate more to some of the tendencies and men to others, but we experience all of them to some degree. The six ways in which we stop loving our partners when we cave in to re-experiencing past feelings are:

1. Loss of Trust. Suddenly you may find yourself wondering and trusting if your partner is doing his or her best or that they care. You question and doubt their best intentions.

Even though he or she would risk their life to save yours, you begin judging them as if they do not care about you.

For Women: Re-parent by slowly opening up and care for yourself. Temporarily stop depending on your partner, and nurture your female side.

2. Loss of Caring. You stop caring about your partner’s needs and feelings. You justify this by the mistreatment you’ve suffered at their hands. We said we would risk our lives to save them, and suddenly we don’t care about them.

For Men: Trust yourself to be successful in the future. Stop depending on your partner’s trust in you to feel successful. Nurture your male side.

3. Loss of Appreciation. Sometimes overnight you begin to feel as if this relationship gives you nothing, whereas other times you had been so grateful and happy. It feels like you are doing everything, while they do nothing. Having this sudden memory lapse, you are now feeling deprived and totally no appreciation for your partner.

For Women: Re-parent yourself by respecting and supporting yourself and nurture your female side.

4. Loss of Respect. Suddenly you feel like withholding love and punishing your partner when just a while ago you wanted only to love and support your partner. Even though you genuinely feel like making your partner happy, now your main focus is caring about yourself.

For Men: Re-parent yourself by appreciating yourself for all you do, suspend needing your partner’s acknowledgement and appreciation temporarily. Nurture your male side. Do not feel like you have to surrender your sense of self in order to please your partner.

5. Loss of Acceptance. All at once you begin noticing everything your partner does wrong or needs to change. This is the same person you felt was perfect and perfect for you, and now out of nowhere you have a compulsion to change, improve, or rehabilitate them.

For Women: To re-parent, slowly open up and take time to understand and experience your feelings and validate your own needs. Release the need to change him.

6. Loss of Understanding. Suddenly while our partners are saying something, we become critical or judgmental of their feelings and reactions. We do this by minimizing their pain as if it doesn’t really matter. However, if they were physically wounded, we would still risk our lives to save them. Even though this is the most important person in our life—we quickly become disinterested and impatient with them. When they are sharing their feelings, we become defensive and feel as if we’re being attacked.

For Men: To re-parent slowly open up and appreciate yourself for all that you do, even if your partner is not doing this. Graciously excuse yourself, go into your cave, and do something that nurtures your male side. Take the time to consider what her feelings are without feeling pressure to immediately respond and say something.

If we find our hearts closed or closing down, it is our responsibility to open them back up. We are no longer children, and as an adult in an adult relationship, we have to take responsibility for our actions. By taking responsibility even if you still feel defensive, you’ll release yourself from negativity, and be able think logically about what was being said. By nurturing your female side if you’re a woman and your male side if you’re a man, you bring value back to yourself, while working through the feelings.

Childhood feelings threaten our responsibility if we find ourselves feeling it is the other person’s fault for not doing x, y, or z or doing a, b, c, to us. It is by acknowledging you feel blame, and then deciding for ourselves that we are committed to forgiveness, that we’re able to come back to our adult selves and release our immature feelings. Next time we’ll talk about how to nurture your male/female sides.

Lyndsay Katauskas, MEd
Mars Venus Coaching
Corporate Media Relations

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Single Ladies Give Yourself a Gift This Year!

Monday, April 25th, 2011

Oxytocin is a stress reducing hormone released in women. When a woman does somthing that produces Oxytocin, her Cortisol (stress hormone) levels begin to drop and she starts to feel less stressed and more relaxed. Below is a list of 10 sure fire ways a women can produce Oxytocin for herself this coming Mother’s Day. Some of them might just surprise you.

1. Get a massage

2. Get your hair done

3. Get a manicure or pedicure

4. Take yourself on a shopping spree

5. Volunteer or give to a charity

6. Go to the theatre, a concert, or dance performance

7. Host an intimate gathering of your closest friends

8. Spend time at the beach, a river, or a lake

9. Go to an art musuem or a cultural event

10. Hand write your future self (and a few close friends if you like) a love note

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Valentine’s Day For Empty-Nesters… “Hello Stranger!”

Monday, April 25th, 2011

Valentine’s day is here. Sometimes we assume that if you’ve celebrated one or twenty Valentine’s days with your honey, the preparation will be the same, and you’ll know exactly what your spouse expects. The reality is we may find ourselves year to year still wondering if what we’re doing for our spouse is actually fulfilling or satisfying their needs. You may do and get things for your spouse based on what advertisers say you should do, or what you think you would like if you were in the other’s shoes. But do we really know? Have you asked for clarification? Do you tell your spouse what makes you fulfilled?

If we are feeling the symptoms of an empty nest AND one or more empty love tanks (we have ten) at Valentine’s, then it may take all of our energy just to summon up the effort to recognize the value our spouse brings to our marriage. Forget a card or flowers or even the thought of a romantic evening. This may have all stopped long ago. Some of us may merely be throwing money or words at our relationship, and think it is still working, but our heart hardened a few years back. And now in addition to the kids leaving home, we are faced with the dilemma of staying in the same car with our spouse or looking elsewhere for a new car to make us feel young or in control.

However, if you think back on all of the Valentine’s you’ve celebrated with your partner, you may discover it is like looking at a scrapbook of snap shots depicting the state of your marriage as you celebrated this day each year that screams “be romantic or else!” Trying to remember where and what you and your spouse did for each of the past Valentine’s may be a fun way of re-connecting, laughing, and returning value to the time you’ve spent together raising yourselves.

If you have been like every other busy family in past years slogging through work and a myriad of after-school activities, sports practice, work related social functions, chores, fitting in workouts, running errands, and paying bills—when your kids get ready to or have just left home to pursue their interests and make their way in the world, the house can feel empty all of a sudden. You wake up looking at your partner, and you don’t know who you are let alone who the other person is anymore. Sometimes this wake-up call even occurs before your kids graduate from high school! Realization dawns that all of the time you spent lavishing unconditional love and support on your kids as you grew them into the young adults they are today—all that time is about to become available again.

This free time can be unsettling, exhilarating, terrifying or all three, because now you have a chance to re-focus on yourself and your needs. This also means getting re-acquainted with your spouse if in year’s past you were busy raising your child(ren). An easy way to re-focus on how you and your spouse will continue to grow together on Valentine’s is a romantic candle-lit dinner. Sometimes a special dinner at home—get take out if possible so no one has to cook—with the lights down low is cheaper, but more intimate than driving, making it on time to the reservation, and conversing in a crowded restaurant. Now is the perfect time over a candlelit dinner to ramble on about those unfulfilled dreams and wishes, and re-evaluate how you and your partner can make action plans by chunking your dream into bite-sized goals to help make each other’s dreams a reality.

How we decide to cope with this new-found freedom can either make our marriages stronger or break them apart. Using Valentine’s day to your advantage, by rekindling romance and talking about how to make both of your dreams a reality is the initial solution to becoming comfortable with the kids being away from home. The second part is checking-in with ages and stages, to see if you’ve been hitting the milestones. If you have an empty love tank, then chances are you’ll need to figure out what the needs are that were not met in previous stages of development, so you can start filling those love tanks and get back on track. Attending a Mars Venus workshop or reading one of Dr. John Gray’s books (author of Men are From Mars, Women Are From Venus) that explains ages and stages in an easy to understand format with The Ten Time periods are efficient ways to begin work on the long-term solution of living a fulfilled life.

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Score Big on Valentine’s Day

Monday, April 25th, 2011

Valentine’s Day is closing in on all of us, and many of us are beginning to think about how to score big points with our sweethearts. How can men and women score big over Valentine’s Day? What if we knew how the opposite sex keeps score? What we may not know is the way men and women score points with the opposite sex is NOT the same. We are from two different planets, Men are from Mars, and Women are from Venus. From the ways we communicate to the ways we reduce our stress, we do it differently. For example at the end of a long day, men like to go to their do “cave” to begin unwinding from the stressors of the day, and generally women, well they need to connect, talk it out and nurture to reduce their stress levels.

For men, the easiest analogy to use is how you go about giving your darling the dozen roses that so typify Valentine’s sales. You will score MORE points if you give your girl twelve roses spread out over time (say in the days leading up to and past Feb 14th) than if you a dozen that one time on Valentine’s Day. For each act of kindness you get 1 point in the Venusian world. There is no sense arguing about it. Ask any woman, she will tell you it’s true. She keeps score by how many things you do for or notice about her. You also get a point each time you notice the things she does for you…like wearing a cute outfit (“Wow babe, you look great in those jeans!”), getting a new hairstyle (“I like the way you did something different with your hair, it lights up your eyes.”), or filling up your gas tank (Wow, sweetie, thanks for filling the car while you shopped for groceries!”). When you do the little things like put your plate in the dishwasher instead of the sink (if that’s what makes her happy), give her a kiss when either of you comes/leaves home, notice her nails are done, etc. You get 1 point for each item.

Aside from any hopes of compounding their interest…Martians tend to wipe the slate clean after you score big, however Venusians remember everything. Unfortunately MEN, if you forget to notice her new manicure, Venusians then take that point away. The Venusian tally never stops, just like a Venusian’s never ending to-do list. So MEN, if you’ve been in the dog house. There is hope! You can come out on top. The BIGGEST way to rack up points (and sometimes the fastest) is when you just sit and listen to her talk. The key here is she talks, and you do not give advice. See, for every minute you sit and listen, and do not say anything except “mm-hmm” or “oh, wow!” or “really?” you score a point! Typically, for women the talking reduces stress, this makes her happier, and what follows gentlemen and ladies is that she will probably be more in the mood for intimacy. Non-sexual touch (little kisses, pats on the tooshie, hugs, cuddling on the couch, holding her hand) for no reason–are quick easy ways you can add up points throughout the day. When you remember and do the little things that make her happy, you’ll send her to the moon.

Now WOMEN: when you acknowledge the little things your man is doing daily for you, this actually is one way for you to score big with him. Why? When a woman shows she is paying attention to how their men are providing, taking care of her, and keeping her safe and secure she is helping her man to feel important and needed. When either person takes for granted any little thing the other does to sacrifice for the good of the relationship, you begin to build resentment. At the most basic level guys need to feel like they are providing to the family, and women want to feel safe and secure. Another way for women to score big with their men let them relax by sitting on the couch, watching a game, surfing the internet, or taking a quick nap. Whatever it is they like to do for their hobby, or go to their “cave,” let them. Know it is not about you. They actually need this down time to replenish their testosterone levels (which reduces their stress), and then makes them more available to get back to you and your honey-do list.

How are you planning to score BIG around Valentine’s? Did you notice I said “around” instead of “on” that special sweetheart day? Another note, make sure you are genuine when communicating (both verbally and nonverbally) with the other person. Doing things by rote may backfire. And, if you’re in a relationship where it has been out of balance for a while, it may take many times of tallying up points before your love begins to open your sweetie’s heart again to freely trust and love. If you try to score points as a way to get your own needs met, then the giving is not done out of unconditional love and genuine want for the other’s needs to be met, and it probably will not work. For those of us still stuck about the little things we can do to show our love—let us know what you intend to do for Valentine’s.

Lyndsay Katauakas
Corporate Media Relations
Mars Venus Coaching

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Keeping New Year’s Resolutions

Wednesday, January 6th, 2010

If you’re like most people, you’ve probably experienced the sudden burst of motivation that comes around this time of year. So many of us experience an urge to commit to the required dedication to take a low level priority in our life and make it the successful reality we deserve. Motivation is the easy part. Follow through is when the eye-opening realizations of the level of commitment required to obtain and maintain our desired goal start to occur. Because of this very reason, New Year’s resolutions are often notoriously short lived. The trick to making resolutions work is to follow the same steps required to make any goal work; devise a plan. Devising a plan should be the first step; following through with the tips provided below should be the next step.

Many people are virtually assured to fail because of one simple fact; they didn’t pick a realistic resolution for themselves. It is very important that you pick a goal that you believe and seriously intend to achieve.

Can you actually visualize yourself achieving the goal? Visualizing your goals is not only a great motivator but also a great reminder. Make sure to choose the right resolution for the right reasons. Once you have devised your plan, it is essential to set time to work on your goal. It is important to schedule this time into your calendar; therefore, you have an appointment and are more likely to keep it. It is also important to constantly reevaluate your progress. Make any adjustments where needed and keep moving forward. It is imperative that you not let any conflicts deter you from progress. When you are faced with any conflicts, simply take a look at your plan and make the appropriate adjustments and keep moving forward.

This is true if you miss an appointment you set for your goal. If you didn’t follow through with your plan on Monday, pick right back up on your next schedule time. Lastly, it is important to recognize the need to hire a professional. A Coach provides the accountability necessary to ask the tough questions that most of us don’t ask ourselves. Whether you are faced with achieving the success of your personal New Year’s resolution or the success of your small business, a Coach in this day age is no longer considered a luxury it is fast becoming a necessity.

Tips for Successful New Year’s Resolutions

  • Choose the right resolution
  • Devise a plan
  • Commit – Write down/Announce your resolution
  • Schedule time on a daily/weekly basis to commit to your goal
  • Monitor your progress and make necessary adjustments
  • Once you reach your goal continue maintaining it

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