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Preparing for 2013 – Part 1: Routines

by EvieBurke, posted in Goals, planning
This week’s article is the first of three.

2013 is quickly approaching. As it does, many people set New Year resolutions. I haven’t set New Year resolutions for a few years now – preferring a word of the year instead.

However, this year I’m not doing that either.

No New Year resolutions and no word of the year? So, what am I doing?

This:

  • I’m creating and solidifying routines (or habits).
  • I’m setting goals for myself that are supported by strategies and clear plans of action.
  • I’m tracking each goal and strategy.
  • I’m recognizing what does and doesn’t work for me and making adjustments as needed.

Now, let me back up and explain a bit. Resolutions can be a wonderful thing, but I have some baggage there. Too many years of: this year I’ll change and do this or be that. Which never really turned out the way I wanted because my previous patterns (or habits) were too deeply ingrained to be changed overnight. And basically that’s what I (and probably most people) expected on some level, like January 1st is a magical day that can instantly change people. So, I don’t set resolutions.

As for word of the year, I’ve had a lot of fun with it the past three years. Looking forward to picking it out and watching how it weaves through my year. But this year I’m not feeling it, so I’m not going to force it. As a quick aside, what things are you doing because it’s what you think you should do instead of what you really want to or feel called to do?

So, this year I’m going back to basics and I invite you to join me.

Create and solidify routines (aka habits)

Cup of CoffeeWhether you realize it or not, you have morning habits. What are the things you do every morning without really even thinking about it? Personally, I can make a cup of coffee and have my breakfast half made before I’m fully awake. It’s just my routine.

What are other things you’d like to do every morning? Get up earlier? Exercise? Meditate? Read? Walk the dog? Stretch? Laugh?

Creating or adding things isn’t only for morning routines. Don’t forget about the end of your work day routine, before or after lunch routine, or before bed routine (but if you’re looking for a place to start, start with your morning routine).

Pick one thing and add it to a routine. Then, create a checklist so you can easily see your progress.

And one hint here: don’t over complicate it! Want to exercise every morning, but you’re not sure what to do? Go for a walk, go up and down the stairs, do jumping jacks. The purpose is to do something, not to do it perfectly. Don’t get sidetracked by perfection.

What’s one thing you want to add to your routine? Share in the comments!

Next week’s article is about goal setting and the following week is about recognizing what does and doesn’t work.
girl dreaming out the window

Do You Have Castles in the Air?

by EvieBurke, posted in Dream, Goals, planning

girl dreaming out the windowIf you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them. – Henry David Thoreau

I have always loved this quote. I must have come across it when I was in high school, because I remember thinking about it then. In college I started a quote journal, and it’s the very first quote I wrote in it.

It’s funny how some quotes stick with us. The meaning changes, sometimes significantly and other times only slightly, as time passes.

For me, the meaning has only slightly changed. It’s become more of a concrete quote. And I realized it applies wonderfully to my life and business now.

You see, I love, love, LOVE setting goals, creating strategies to meet those goals and planning out the details of those strategies. I think it’s a lot of fun.

I was doing this for myself at the end of November when I realized that dreams and goals are the castles in the air. Sometimes they’re really cool and fun, but look a bit unattainable. How the heck do I get there?

The strategies and plans are part of the foundation, not all of it, but a very important part. They’re like the bricks of the foundation.

What’s the stuff that holds it all together and prevents it from falling over? That’s the work. When you follow the plans and do the work, you’re putting the mortar between the bricks. You’re laying a strong foundation.

Building on last week’s topic, don’t become discouraged if things don’t exactly go as planned. Sometimes those failures make the foundation even stronger or the foundation is now able to support a castle (or dream) that is even better than we previously imagined.

What are your castles? What dreams do you have for your life and business that you’re laying the foundation for? Share below!

photo credit: bolandrotor via photopin cc
Sign post with Failure and Success

Risk, Success and Failure

by EvieBurke, posted in attitude, Fear, Goals, planning, Quote

Sign post with Failure and SuccessI came across this quote last week:

Success and failure. We think of them as opposites, but they’re really not. They’re companions – the hero and the sidekick. – Laurence Shames

Interesting quote isn’t it?

I thought of it again over the weekend when I was given the topic of risk to discuss with the Jr. High youth group. The focus was on making your own decisions versus other people making decisions for you. So, we talked about risk, success and failure.

This week the speaker at an event I was at spoke briefly about taking risks and how some failures really set you up for your next success.

Sitting in the audience I was suddenly struck by how often the topic of risk, success and failure had come across my path in the last week.

Interesting.

If you don’t accept failure as a possibility, you don’t set high goals, you don’t branch out, you don’t try – you don’t take the risk. – Rosalynn Carter

I searched through my collection of quotes, looking for ones about success, and this one stuck out.

You see, last week I set some pretty ambitious goals for myself in the coming months, but they are possible with time and attention. I wondered out loud if I was expecting too much of myself in too little time. Perhaps I am. Perhaps I won’t meet some of the goals I set. Perhaps I will fail. And perhaps in failing I’ll be that much closer to another opportunity. Perhaps I’ll still have accomplished more in the failure than I would have if I never tried.

But maybe, just maybe I’ll succeed.

Success and failure, hero and sidekick. I’d wager that success usually follows what looks like failure. We just don’t always hear about the failure. We’d rather hear about the success – the hero of the story, right? But the sidekick is there, quietly supporting the hero in lessons learned.

What does this mean to you?

  1. Risk, success and failure. How do those play out in your life? In your business?
  2. What topics or ideas seem to be appearing over and over again? What do they mean to you? Why are you noticing them?

I’d love for you to share your observations in the comments below.

And I’ll leave you with one last quote:

So fail.
Be bad at things.
Be embarrassed.
Be afraid.
Be vulnerable.

Go out on a limb or two or twelve, and you will fall and it’ll hurt. But the harder you fall, the farther you will rise. The louder you fall, the clearer your future becomes. Failure is a gift, welcome it.

There are people who spend their whole lives wondering how they became the people they became, how certain chances passed them by, why they didn’t take the road less traveled.

Those people aren’t you.

You have front row seats to your own transformation, and in transforming yourself, you might even transform the world. And it will be electric, and I promise you it will be terrifying.

Embrace that; embrace the new person you’re becoming.

This is your moment.

I promise you, it is now, now, not two minutes from now, not tomorrow, but really now. Own that; know that deep in your bones. And go to sleep every night knowing that, wake up every morning remembering that.

And then… keep going.

– Unknown (emphasis added)

Sad Young Woman

I Knew It Was Going to be a Bad Day

by EvieBurke, posted in attitude, Default Setting, Gratitude

Sad Young WomanI went to bed the other night frustrated with myself. It was after midnight (a very late bedtime for me) and I just knew that the next day wasn’t going to go smoothly as a result.

How did I know that?

Easy, that’s my past experience.

It goes like this: go to bed late, the next morning sleep in a bit (because not getting enough sleep makes for a bad day too!) and then be frustrated with the time that is ”lost.” Spend the morning frustrated that I still have five things to do and only time for three. Constantly check email and Facebook just in case something important comes through. And at the end of the day I’m frustrated and upset with myself because only two things of my five tasks actually got done. I might attempt to go to bed early, but I’m not tired – just annoyed. At this point one of two things happens: (1) I get to bed early and start the next day “right” or (2) I stay up late again and have a repeat of my bad day.

So, I was thinking about this as I got ready the next day and I suddenly remembered an article I wrote over two years ago when I was still an employee. The gist of it is that one or two (or more) events don’t determine the flow of your day unless you let it.

Well, crap. I guess I don’t need to have a frustrating or bad day. Wait – that’s a good thing!

If you want to succeed in your life, remember this phrase: The past does not equal the future. Because you failed yesterday; or all day today; or a moment ago; or for the last six months; the last sixteen years; or the last fifty years of life, doesn’t mean anything… All that matters is: What are you going to do, right now? – Anthony Robbins (emphasis added)

Just because my past experience is that staying up late means the following day will be frustrating and generally bad doesn’t mean that I’ll have that experience every single time. Unless of course I make it happen.

I want to point out all the assumptions I made about my day (time was lost; I’ll get an email that I just have to respond to immediately; need to start the day right).  I feed my own frustration with those assumptions.

Was my day perfect? Well, no – but who really wants to be perfect?  (I shared a great quote about this on Facebook last week click here to see it)

Did I get my five things done? Nope, and I was okay with that.

Why was I okay with that? Well, why get frustrated about it? Frustration doesn’t get things done any faster.

It’s easy to read about someone else’s experiences, but how do you recognize it for yourself (and recognize it early) and change it up?

Well, I just happen to have a couple thoughts on that!

  1. Are you thinking something along the lines of “UGH! Because I did that now this is going to happen!”
    Take a step back – how realistic is that? What’s something else that can happen? What would happen if you smiled, took a breath and re-prioritized instead of going “UGH!”
  2. Are you should-ing on yourself?
    Do you find yourself saying “I should have done this” or “I should be doing that” or “this shouldn’t be happening like that”?
    Yes? Take a deep breath – maybe even get out of your office or house for a few minutes. Go for a walk. Is it too cold out? Walk up and down some stairs or do jumping jacks. Really, I’m serious, it can help to get your blood flowing and put your mind on physical activities for a little bit.

And next time you find yourself in the midst of a day that’s just not going “right” – remember that quote above.

If none of that is working, write down three things you’re thankful for, then take a breath and smile and write down three more. Gratitude is a great mood lifter!

So, to borrow from Tony Robbins: What are you going to do, right now? Share in the comments below!

Another article you might want to check out: Throwing a Pity Party

Image courtesy of Jeanne Clair Maarbes / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
you! hey! you - we like you - you're great! know yourself - believe in yourself

Others Believe in You

by EvieBurke, posted in Fear, Goals, Gratitude

you! hey! you - we like you - you're great! know yourself - believe in yourselfThe past couple of weeks I’ve been thinking about what I’m grateful for. Fitting since this week is Thanksgiving for the US.

There are many things to be thankful for and one that’s been on my mind off and on for months is the people who asked me to take on responsibilities that I didn’t think I was capable of. These people saw potential in me that I didn’t recognize. They offered me opportunities that I would have never asked for and for that I am very grateful.

One wish for you dear reader, is that you find yourself surrounded by people who recognize you are extremely capable of things beyond your current belief in yourself. Surrounded by people who encourage you to seek out (or create) those opportunities just beyond your comfort zone.

Occasionally, take a step back and see yourself as they see you. Take strength from that.

If you currently do not that have those people in your life, I encourage you to look for them. Join groups where you can find them and also be that person for someone else.

If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter you know that I’m a big fan of quotes. Here are a couple to think about:

Many of our fears are tissue paper thin, and a single courageous step would carry us clear through them. – Brendan Francis

If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves. – Thomas A. Edison

If you need any help finding those people who know you’re capable of great things – let me know by leaving a comment here or emailing me at support [at] OneInsightCloser [dot] com