Stop Waiting On Your Life

This past week I was sitting on the phone with tech support, and over and over again, I thought of things I could have done while I sat there -- waiting -- not living my life. 

 Are you “on hold” in your life?  

Are you waiting for a spouse to come along, waiting on the motivation to get your home organized, waiting on a great job to fall into your lap, waiting on winning the lottery to plan your retirement?  Stop waiting on your life!  The only difference between you and the people who are getting what they want, is that they kept moving and you didn’t.  Here are some ideas to help get you started again. 

1. Focus on the who, not the what

If you find that you’ve been stuck in a goal for a while, try restarting it in “who am I” terms instead of “what I want” terms.  For example, instead of saying “I want to lose 30 lbs.”, say “I am someone who takes care of herself by keeping my weight around XXX which is a healthy range for my height and age.”  Be as specific as possible.  Notice that “I want to be someone who helps others'' could mean anything from a clerk in the grocery store to a heart surgeon.  Focus on who you want to be.  Then ask yourself what actions would be fit with your desire “to be'' instead of “get”.  

2. Analyze it

Did you know that a full 80% of your problems come from 20% of your life?  It’s true!  Determine what that 20% is that’s affecting so much of your life, and start working to make it happier, more efficient, more satisfying. 

3. Assign Value

A big mistake I see in my coaching clients is not assigning a true value to your time, to your energy, to your money, and to the “real estate” (space) of your home or office.  Realize that for each thing you say yes to- a pair of shoes or watching a movie-  you have said no to something else.  Always ask yourself - is this valuable enough to me to crowd my life with, or even to bump something else from my closet, my schedule, my money?