Thursday 23 May 2013

Setting A New Course

Setting A New Course



And the challenge of getting over myself and getting on with my life and making it happen is reflected in my lack of blog writing and so it is time…. Time to move on…. Time to shift….. Time to start with something different… Time to get off my arse and get going….. Time to change the way I have been doing things…. Time to blog!!!! Ha! Ha! Ha!

I know there are many like me, who get stuck, who know they have to move, who are kind of comfortable in their very uncomfortable (dis)comfort zone ( get your head round that one!!!)  I have done some interesting reading lately and one of the things I read was “When the pain of being the same becomes greater than the pain of being different, you change” – (From Why is God Laughing by Deepak Chopra).  So the challenge of being aware that the pain of being the same is becoming too much, brings with it the query – How?  How do I change?  How can I get different results in my life?  What must I do to make things different?….


And in this space of feeling somewhat rudderless and drifting along with all my fears and discomforts, some things came my way which have helped me set a direction and have supported me in feeling like I have some direction and purpose again.…  And these have come in various forms…. I do some work for Gavin Coetzee and Associates and we are busy with his “Change Starts With Me” programme which is run for the public in all the major centres in SA.  As we have been focusing on this, I was reminded of the very valuable work that he does on these workshops and the HUGE changes I experienced after doing the course last year and what it was that caused those changes.  My neighbour leant me Robin Sharma’s “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari” (it’s the concepts that he talks about that are so valuable…the story is not the important part). My partner had some tapes copied for me to mp3 format by Brian Tracy called Maximum Achievement…. And so the list goes on – I have been given some real clear messages from the Universe here – Kim, this is what you need to do to move forward.

What I am aware of, is that they are all saying very similar things about what tools you can use to get yourself going.  And in the writing of all this, what strikes me is that for many people these kind of practices are not something that we are taught from a young age to make a natural part of our lives. It seems that most of us we have only really discovered them as adults.  So these areas to focus on to make a difference in my life, on some level I know them – at the same time, I am aware that I need to be reminded of them which means that they are not something that are really a part of me yet – they still need to become so. In Robin Sharma’s book he talks about following the practices for 30 days because by then they have become a habit.

And the tools that I have drawn from all this collective wisdom that has come my way is the following:

-          The first step really is to make the decision and to do something about it
-          Set some goals - I have set some goals for myself. It seems that goals are key to creating shifts and begin the process of moving forward – all the rest is really in support of helping me achieve my goals and in creating a life that is more rich, energised and vital. I am aware that I resist the setting of goals, however what I do find that no sooner have a set them, than things start to shift in the direction I want them to go… it’s like a magic formula!!!  I work with the goals a number of times a day – I actually have them programmed in my calendar on my cellphone and I read and visualise them at least 3x a day!!  I have also set up a project plan where I plan for what I am going to do for each day towards each goal and look for how I can push myself out of my comfort zone.  There are all sorts of ways to look at goals.  I have some BHAGs (Big Hairy Audacious Goals) that have been around for some time, however I have felt intuitively that right now I need to focus on some short-term goals and as these start manifesting, to then look at my medium and long-term goals. It seems I need to feel those successes
 
-          Start my day reflecting what I am grateful for – it’s a warm, positive space to get the day going from

-          Take the time to meditate every day – to quiet my mind, to have a time of total silence, to connect with myself and my universal wisdom, to let go of “stuff” in my head, to allow the power of the sub-conscious to rise to the surface

-          Take the time to exercise every day – working with my body to energise and revitalise

-          Eat as much live, whole foods as possible – I find that the more I cut out the processed and junk foods, the more alive my body feels and my energy levels and vitality soar

-          Spend some time outdoors in nature everyday – there is something so grounding and recharging about doing this for me and of course I have the beautiful Kommetjie beach just down the road…..

-          Work with affirmations and mantras – I use these to negate the negative thoughts in my head – I spend time while I am driving or walking saying something positive about myself or what I would like to happen (as though it has already happened) and this leaves no space for negative thought patterns – this is something that I WILL change – it is one of my goals – yes the dark side will always be a part of me, however it will not be my comfort zone any longer – I will constantly use it to fuel change in my life
-          Read or listen to things that stimulate my mind, that get my creative side going and that feed my passions, nourishes me

-          Listen to inspiring music  - you can’t feel negative when you’re listening to good sounds

-          Look to do something different every day, even if it is to take a different route home – challenging when you live in as small a place as Kommetjie  J!!!

-          Laugh every day – I do some laughter yoga on my own – that in itself makes me laugh but it sure leaves me feeling great

-          Personal reflection – look at what is working and acknowledge it.  Look at what’s not working and put decide what to do differently

So with all this information/wisdom that I have had swimming around in my head and in wanting to make it all really work for me, I have created a daily ritual for myself that I am going to perform for the next 30 days (I have been kind of following it for the last week but have allowed some excuses to erode my discipline….) – so here goes, I am publically setting myself a new goal – to follow the daily ritual that incorporates all the above concepts for the next 30 days starting tomorrow 24 May 2013.  The aim is to shift myself from where I am now - I am very clear on what I want to change because I have set my goals – to be in a very different space in all aspects of my life.  And I commit to doing a check-in on my blog as to how I am doing on the 7th June and then on the 30th day which will be the 23rd June.  Of course what I am looking for is to make these practices a part of my life and not just for the 30 days.  What this commitment to this daily ritual will require of me is discipline, it will require me to focus on what I am doing and to focus on my priorities and to plan my time …. Oh boy, do I resist these words or what???  At the same time, I am feeling way more optimistic and excited about what the next 30 days will bring than I have in a long time!!
And in the working with all this, I find that my creativity is being stimulated and I have some ideas that I am working on in supporting others to do something similar – exciting stuff and will keep you posted!!!
 
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With the greatest love - till next time

Kim
xxxxx