Published: January 01. 2010 2:00AM
By Kondria Woods
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
It's a new year. A clean slate, and a natural opportunity to reflect on the year that was. Perhaps there are things that could have been, but this isn't the time to reflect on the past. All resolutions aside, now is the time to get focused and stay that way, turning good intentions into a plan for accomplished goals. And your starting point? It's closer than you think.
“Plato had the best advice more than 2,000 years ago: ‘Know thyself,'” said Barbara Poole, president and founder of Success Builders Inc. “Oftentimes, people tend to go about planning their lives with the starting point of what's out there to pursue: Here's the job I want, here's the house I want, here are the friends and relationships I want. They should first think of things in terms of understanding ‘what's good for me.' The best plans start with a systemized view of core values, the influences I retain from how I was raised and what I care about most, my natural abilities and my orientation to a certain lifestyle, as in, am I a big-city person or a small-city person? It's important to ask, where do I thrive? The most important thing to address is spiritual, what matters most deeply for me? All of these should be considered as a whole, rather than individual targets.”
Celebrations for 2010 may be leaving a particularly bittersweet aftertaste, as the state of the economy continues to cast a long shadow. In 2009, many livelihoods, living arrangements and personal expectations were upended like a rowboat caught in a tsunami . Rebounding from the experiences wrought by the previous year could be a process within itself.
“I find that the economy has overshadowed the trend of reflecting at the end of the year with the necessity of looking at your life now,” said Dianne Greyerbiehl, founder and owner of Life Coaching Institute. “The economy also has increased the number of clients wanting services, even though it may be a financial stretch for some. They definitely want (to clarify) short-term goals but also desire a clear picture of where they want to go long-term. Many individuals are coming in to switch careers because they have been laid off or are quite unhappy in their present job. Others are deeply stuck in a survival, fear-driven mental state. They perceive their lives to be nearly unbearable and want to do something about it. These are individuals that are very interested in looking at their whole life: work, relationships, personal growth, spiritual development, happiness and fun, finances, etc., to see what they really want. They are very interested in learning about what will provide for happiness, what their strengths are and then setting up goals that will begin to create an entirely new lifestyle for themselves.”
Greyerbiehl said many of her clients “feel they are well on their way to a better life” within a 12- to 14-week period.
“Interestingly, those who want an entire life plan, including career planning, usually do better than the ones just wanting to focus on their career,” she said.
When it's time to put the pieces of that life plan together, it might take a helping hand to help see how the pieces fit into your ultimate “big picture.” That helping hand could come in the form of a low- or high-technology tool, or be extended by a life coach.
“People care very much about planning and achieving goals,” said Terron Vawter, life coach and owner of Finding The Moment. “They sometimes have trouble with this, so I do give my clients tangible advice on how they can achieve their goals.The type of personal planning I hear being asked from clients usually comes in the form of how they can get their day-to-day and weekly events organized.For those with a more technical mind, I might recommend an electronic device that may be able to assist them with calendars, alarms and contacts.Maybe a new smart phone or possibly a software application for their computer is what they may need.For those that have gadget-phobia, I suggest various agendas or planners that may fit their needs. As a part of that process, I also analyze and try to streamline the process my clients currently have for coordinating their lives by finding more efficient ways to complete the same tasks.”
Poole added, “The early stages of a fresh start are always an inside job. Like any quest you embark upon, you must have a clear vision of where you want to go. I find that when people come to a coach, they have issues with which they're struggling. One of the first ethical things for a coach to determine is if the person is in the right place. Do they need a coach or a therapist? A life coach is not a panacea, and not everyone is 'coachable.' For a variety of reasons, they might not be able to question how they are getting in their own way. A good coach will hold you accountable. Establishing a plan is the first step. Accomplishing the goals is the desired outcome.”