left Xtraordinary Living At Its Best: What kind of year will you have in 2008?

Saturday, January 05, 2008

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What kind of year will you have in 2008?

One of the great things about the first few days of the new year is that our minds give us permission to "start over." Regardless of any negativity that we have experienced in the recent (or distant) past, most of us are relatively open to the possibility that we CAN have a great year.

This is also a time where people set out to make positive changes in their life in all quadrants - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.

Unfortunately, it doesn't take much for us to quickly abandon this attitude and perspective and replace it with a "here it goes again..." mentality. The enthusiasm that had us open to the possibility of having a great year is now replaced by an equally strong feeling of "doom and gloom". We start thinking along the lines of "Oh no, it's going to be one of those years" when only a few days have elapsed.

So what can we do? One of the best things I recommend is that people set their goals for the year. Unfortunately, my experience with working with thousands of people is that seldom do people set "productive goals." What I mean by this, is that the goals people set are nothing more than "wishful thinking." This often does more harm than good because it creates unrealistic expectations that often lead to disappointment.

My definition of a productive goal is one that not only provides our minds with a clear destination, but it also inspires, motivates and sustains our motivation in the face of adversity.

To be able to set this kind of a goal requires skill. And like any other skill, it must be developed and cultivated. There are many books that focus on the mechanics of setting goals. In my experience that is the easy part of setting goals. The more difficult part is the necessary self-knowledge to make sure that the goal works to motivate us towards our dream and away from our "point to prove."

If you would like help in this second area and you live in the San Diego area, I invite you to participate in a workshop that my friend and colleague Kathy Nelson is offering. If you are a podcast listener, you may recall my interview with Kathy on "Passion and Purpose." (click here if you would like to listen to it.)

Kathy is a master at helping people in setting productive goals. This workshop is a great opportunity for you to have a great start in 2008. I highly recommend it.

Click here to view a PDF flyer with the workshop details or contact Kathy at thecoach@san.rr.com

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