Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Happiness in 2014

“Happiness is in the heart, not in the circumstance.” ~Dove (chocolate).

The year 2013 is over. Did you reach any of your goals you set at the beginning of last year? Did you set any goals? Whether you set goals or not, there were surely things that you wanted to accomplish in 2013. And when you start thinking about the things you want to accomplish in 2014, here are six things you might want to think about...

1. Think about things that are going to make you happy. Will losing weight make you happy? How about getting in better shape? Will doing more for others make you happy? Being happy should be the ultimate goal. Maybe that should be your goal...being happier. (I would love to coach someone who came to me with that goal!)

2. How realistic are the goals you are setting? It's true that in failure we learn. But sometimes it's better if the goals you set are achievable. Try this, dream big but set multiple miniature goals in a sequence that will allow you to reach those dreams once they are achieved. Having a goal of climbing Mount Everest before you even climb your first mountain may be a little too far sighted. Dream of climbing Mount Everest one day, but start with a goal of climbing a few mountains first. It's possible that you may even end up ditching your old goal in favor a new one along the way.

3. Think about how your goals affect those around you. Training to climb the highest mountains may take a lot of time. Will you do it alone? Will you lose time you spend with loved ones to your training? Think about the value of what you want to achieve versus what you may be giving up to reach your goal. 

4. Be excited. There's no point in setting goals if you can't be a little excited about the idea of achieving them. You may even need that excitement at some point along the way. If you want to be able to do 100 pushups, you may want to quit at 50 and getting past it may only happen if you can get excited about your vision of doing 100.

5. Repeat step 1; think about things that are going to make you happy.

6. Be proud of your accomplishments. Achieving goals takes mental strength. You need focus and the strength to keep going during times when you want to stop.

Small goals lead to bigger goals. So start small and don't stop.The end of the year is the beginning of a new year. It's a good time to start setting goals, but when you achieve a goal in April, set another one. Keep the momentum going and enjoy the ride. Remember that Dove chocolate quote, that happiness is not in the circumstance of achieving your goals, it's in you every step of the way.

Enjoy Life.

Coach Randal Suozzo, CPC, ELI-MP
www.coachsuozzo.com
www.facebook.com/Passion DiscoveryCoaching