It's easy to begin a year with analysis: months, days and even years of "thinking." Many of us would like to believe that "reaching goals" begins with an armchair, a self-help book and a beer. But if you really want to see some change, remember that action creates energy.
Have you ever spent a whole day driving? Lying on the couch with a heavy-duty remote control? At the end of the day, you're exhausted.
Action fuels thought. The world looks different as you sit in your living room. When you get off the couch and face the outside world, your questions -- and your answers --seem new.
Action tests our readiness to change. Are you thinking of hiring a career consultant? Before you pick up the phone, take some small action on your own. Get a list of articles from the library or web. Make some phone calls.
Do something different. In a tape version of her recent book, Thunder and Lightning, Natalie Goldberg advises writers to overcome blocks by changing small elements of their lives. Take a different route when you walk home, she suggests; if you normally drive with your left hand on the steering wheel, try the right.
Some ideas:
Do something alone that you normally do with others: shopping, traveling, eating in a restaurant.
Do something with others that you normally do alone.
If you have a routine for evenings or weekends, make a change. In his book, How People Change, Allen Wheelis pointed out that changing yourself is pretty simple. If you want to stop being a thief, don't steal. If you want to be a writer, write. Sounds simple -- but it works.
Sometimes, if you are lucky, external events force you to change in a positive direction. Serendipity has moved from the woo-woo category to mainstream career research.
Can't get moving?
If you are really, really stuck, but you can't get yourself to take even one action step, pay attention. Sometimes you are at a point in your life when it's time to do nothing, but inability to act may signal clinical depression or anxiety.
Do you want someone to share your thoughts as you try out different actions? Moving -- but you're not sure in which direction you want to end up? These questions suggest you can get help from a career or business coach.
Maybe you believe in New Year's Resolutions, or maybe you prefer to take life as it comes. Regardless, I can promise your next twelve months will bring exciting new changes and opportunities...if you jump off that couch and begin taking action.
I offer one-to-one consultations on career strategy.
About The Author
Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., is an author, speaker and career/business consultant, helping midlife professionals take their First step to a Second Career. http://www.cathygoodwin.com.
"Ten secrets of mastering a major life change" mailto:subscribe@cathygoodwin.com
Contact: cathy@cathygoodwin.com 505-534-4294
I was having coffee with my friend the other day.... Read More
Many studies have been done to research the effects of... Read More
How many times have you made excuses for putting off... Read More
'Action Rules!' in the Getting Goals Game. It is the... Read More
In Part 1 of this article, we talked about reaching... Read More
Do you want to know how the super successful overcome... Read More
We are all given the tools, but it is up... Read More
Throughout the many pages of scores of motivational books, with... Read More
My 4 year old son was very excited. I had... Read More
Do you find yourself sitting at work longing to be... Read More
(excerpted from the Take Charge of Your Life 6 CD... Read More
When we talk about a Simple Life, we are not... Read More
Whenever you feel lethargic and depressed by your situation in... Read More
Friends, it is always a power of your dreams and... Read More
What stops you from 'getting things done?'Have you ever started... Read More
"It is not what happens to you, but how you... Read More
Suggested practice to gain freedom from self-limitation.It is suggested that... Read More
In our information age, having the right knowledge at the... Read More
If you really want to become rich, then begin by... Read More
Allow me to start this with a quote:To think too... Read More
Tony Robbins has been an inspiration for millions. Love him... Read More
Your Non-Conscious Mind is 98% of your full power. Your... Read More
Motivation is an oft-discussed subject, particularly with regards to whether... Read More
The secret to getting started on something when you don't... Read More
One of our most powerful psychological needs is the craving... Read More
Ever wonder how to stop procrastinating?I was recently talking with... Read More
Two undeniable traits of the super-successful are: their belief in... Read More
Have you ever wondered what's really holding you back from... Read More
"Making a lot out of a little"Ever noticed how some... Read More
Staying motivated at work is easier than you think when... Read More
"I have heard it said that the first ingredient of... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
James 2: 17?faith by itself, if it is not accompanied... Read More
Life is a gift; live it with gusto everyday. Don't... Read More
I once heard a statement that no matter how good... Read More
The other day I was on my way home, and... Read More
I watched as an 8-year-old All-Star slid dramatically into second... Read More
Very shortly, in this paragraph, I'm going to share with... Read More
I think there is a misconception about what a mentor... Read More
MY FOUR-MINUTE DANCING CAREERA few years ago, I decided to... Read More
Did you realize that as much as 47% of the... Read More
Self Help is itself a broad category from which to... Read More
Destiny. What a powerful word. And the great thing about... Read More
Most of us are hesitant to start anything because we... Read More
The 21-year-old rookie cop had his big chance to brag... Read More
Will power alone will never work over the long term.... Read More
The motivation for good or bad which we get from... Read More
Here are a few commonly held beliefs, or "myths," that... Read More
"If you are going through hell , keep on going"... Read More
Changing our internal programming that limits us has never been... Read More
Can There Be Any Other Business Like Your Own Business?"Whatever... Read More
"A man who has nothing to die for is not... Read More
If a total stranger came up to you and said:... Read More
The basic trauma of being locked inside of a penal... Read More
Over the years in America and the west generally, the... Read More
What a perfect fall Saturday morning, clear sunny blue sky,... Read More
If you really want to do something you will always... Read More
While I was trying to find a subject to write... Read More
One of the shortcuts to creating wealth is to learn... Read More
Here is a basic truth you must accept and believe... Read More
'We cannot become what we need to be remaining what... Read More
I think each one of us has had the experience... Read More
Hello,How is your day coming along? Better, I am sure,... Read More
How dramatically we can change our results is largely a... Read More
We can all learn a valuable lesson about the types... Read More
Are you still "stuck on still?" If so, don't let... Read More
Motivation |