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DEVELOP A THEME THAT
INSPIRES YOU
by: Wendy Hearn
As the New Year begins, it's inevitable that your thoughts turn to the
changes you want to make or the things you want to achieve this year. You
may have thought about New Years' Resolutions, even though you know they
generally don't work. A New Year is like a clean sheet of paper, ready to
start afresh. So if setting New Year Resolutions doesn't work, what does it
take for you to focus on what's important to you? The first step is to have
a clear idea of this year's aims. An effective way is to set intentions for
yourself to bring about what's most important to you. Then condense these
aims into a "theme" for the year.
Your theme will be personally meaningful, it needs to come from your heart
and to inspire you. As you concentrate on the idea of a theme, jot down any
ideas which may occur to you, even if they don't appear to make sense at
first.
Your theme will reflect your vision, but whereas your vision is big and much
more than you'll accomplish in your lifetime, your theme is about the part
of your vision you hope to achieve in the next year. Your theme needs to be
a fun thing and something to experiment and play with. Make your theme
outrageous; a step out of your box.
Your theme can relate to any area of your life, personal or professional and
it should impact your whole life, even if this wasn't obvious when you set
the theme. My theme for this year is with my business. The theme "be in the
moment and trust myself" felt right because of what is important to me and
my vision. This was missing last year and it would be healthy for me to
embrace it fully. It later occurred to me that this same theme would impact
the way in which I interact with my children and in my personal
relationships.
Your theme needs to feel so natural that you wouldn't need to 'try' and hold
yourself accountable to it. However you may find it useful to set up a
reminder system to say it as often as possible and post it in many places.
After all, if the time comes when your theme isn't working for you or needs
changing, you have that choice. Tie your theme into who you are and not just
what you want to 'do' or 'have'. Whatever you want to 'do' or 'have' will
come more easily when you shift to 'being' that person. I've heard of some
people who have set a theme for the year of, say, 'traveling more'. A great
theme but until you shift who you are as a person, it's not likely to happen
without struggle. For instance the theme of 'traveling more' may require
that you 'be adventurous' or 'be courageous'.
A theme keeps you focused and is there to touch base with regularly. Focus
on your theme first thing in the morning for a clearer direction to the day
rather than drifting. When I feel unsure of something, lack direction or
feel unfocused, yet need to make a decision or use my time more effectively,
these are all occasions when I need to 'be' with my theme and decide what's
my next step.
Acknowledge yourself daily for being with your theme and record the results
in your journal as a means of inspiration. Each day, check that your
choices, decisions, and most importantly, your actions are in alignment with
your theme. During the day and at the end of it, reflect where you were in
touch with your theme and where you weren't. This will give you clues about
what you need to change in your life. One of the habits I'm working on with
my theme is to 'be' with my theme before I 'do' anything. Even if I don't do
this all the time, at least it's increasing my awareness more often.
What I want for you is a theme for this year that inspires and excites you
and reflects what's important to you.
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Wendy Hearn
Personal and Professional Coach
She works with business owners, professionals and executives to
discover and unlock their own inspiration, to effortlessly take
the actions required to have the success they desire. To receive Wendy's
free newsletter, send an email to:
mailto:newsletter@wendyhearn.par32.com
http://www.Business-Personal-Coaching.com
Copyright 2002, Wendy Hearn. All rights reserved.
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