Friday, February 29, 2008

Change

I have always been captivated by change. There seems to be in each of us an internal flame that burns, igniting the desire to improve, grow, and get better. Traditionally the first of every year is one of those landmark points that make us think a little deeper about where we are, where we have come from and where we are going or becoming. I love this time. It is exciting to me to dream and look to the future. I get excited about who I can become. Yet, every year I continue to make only part of my goals and fall short on quite a few.

I heard a great saying the other day. “Change is easy unless not changing is easier”. That truly captivated my feelings. Each time I had pondered the changes I wanted to make in my life, the steps were easy to compile and realistic to implement. But not changing was even easier. So how can we change the odds to help us? How can we make the changes happen?

Three Steps to Change

1) Write down the desired change

2) Review the written statement daily

3) The Key – Accountability

WRITE DOWN THE DESIRED CHANGE

A goal not written is a wish. Write it down. Something happens in the mind that makes it easier to fulfill and accomplish written goals. Also, write your goal in the form of the desired outcome. For example; if you desire to quit smoking, don’t write “I am going to quit smoking.” Instead write, “I enjoy the freedom of clean lungs.” The mind cannot focus on an opposite. If I say to you, “Don’t think about a Pink Elephant” can you do it? Focus on the positive outcome.

REVIEW THE WRITTEN STATEMENT DAILY

The constant reminder of your desired goal is mandatory. Our daily lives will weigh us down in discouraging events that will tend to pull us away from out goals. The daily reminder will help us keep first things first.

THE KEY—ACCOUNTABILTY

Maybe the hardest step is this. I believe it is FEAR that stops us from making accountabilities. We fear that if we fail, someone else will know about it. But this is the key. Being responsible and accountable to someone else keeps the flame under us to keep moving. There are three different levels of accountability. 1- Personal Accountability Partner. 2- Mentors. 3- Coaches. Each serves a different purpose and has a different responsibility. Depending on your goal, a different accountability is needed. A Personal Accountability Partner is a trusted friend that will push you and encourage you. Mentors are individuals who have made it to the goal you are seeking. Coaches are usually paid experts who help you implement the systems to get to the final goal.

Take time this wonderful holiday season to review your life. Evaluate your Spiritual, Family, Business, Financial, Emotional, and Physical areas of your lives. Set some goals to make 2007 even better than 2006. Write down your goals. Identify which accountability to implement. Then get it done. 365 days from now will be 365 days from now no matter what you do. But what you do in between now and then will make the difference of how your life will be. Remember it is all about the small details. It is the golfer who was one stroke less that won twice as much money. So believe that you can become better and achieve more in your life.

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