If you are thinking about changing your life for the better, one way to start is by identifying your goals. You are probably hoping to find some version of happiness or emotional well-being. That might look like any combination of the following:

·    A sense of freedom
·    Self-esteem
·    Self-confidence
·    Happy to get up in the morning
·    Working toward goals
·    A sense of purpose in life
·    Satisfying relationships

If you are thinking about changing your life, you may be experiencing some combination of the following elements:

·    Feeling sad, lethargic or depressed
·    Feeling afraid
·    Abusing or being addicted to alcohol or drugs
·    Feeling lonely
·    Anxiety
·    Problems with relationships
·    Not getting what you want in life; feeling frustrated in working toward goals
·    Not caring enough to have goals

1. Eliminate clutter. Clutter can be viewed as a sign of uncertainty. Accumulating “stuff” might be stopping you from committing to an important thing. If you keep a lot of half-started projects around, it makes it difficult to zero in on the really important things.
2. Start small. Thinking of your overall goal can be overwhelming. So manage your resistance by choosing one small part of it and attacking it today. Let’s say your goal is to lose 20 pounds. That can certainly seem like an impossible thing to accomplish. It will seem more doable if you tell yourself, I’m going to lose five pounds by (date).  Unleash the potent force of kaizen, the Japanese technique of achieving great and lasting success through small steady success. Dr. Robert Maurer, One Small Step Can Change Your Life, The Kaizen Way explains, “Kaizen works because it melts away resistance – in particular the “fight-or-flight” brain chemistry behind people’s underlying fear of change”.
3. Disprove your disempowering beliefs. In Reinventing Your Life, authors Young and Klosko suggest that you identify the beliefs that keep you from succeeding. They offer a way to dispute those beliefs by asking, “Is there really an evidence today that this belief is true?” They suggest making a list of the evidence for and against this belief.  Ask others if there is any evidence that the belief is true.
4. Remind yourself of all of your available options. You always have alternatives and the power to choose among them.  This strategy can be difficult to do on your own.  Brainstorm options with supportive others.
5. Take responsibility for what you want. Look for signs that you are blaming your situation on others or not admitting past mistakes. Acknowledge them and move on.
6. Visualize the future. Author Barbara Sher suggests one way to do this: Write an imaginary press release about yourself. The date is today’s date, two years in the future. The press release is announcing the most extraordinary event you can think of. It doesn’t matter whether this event seems only vaguely possible to you. The important thing is that it is exciting to imagine.

• You’ve tried several things but you still have the problem.
• You want to find a solution sooner rather than later.
• You have thoughts of harming yourself or others.
• You have symptoms of depression, anxiety, or another disorder that are significantly interfering with your daily functioning and the quality of your life.
• For example, you have lost time from work, your relationships have been harmed, your health is suffering. These are signs that you may need the help of a trained, licensed professional.

Reach Monique directly at phone: (631) 549-7314  or toll free  (866) 435-1961