GOAL SETTING

Have you read my January 1st blog posting yet? If not, be sure to read it, then refer back to this January 7th posting, when you're done. Have you started mapping out your goals for 2008 and putting plans in place to help you achieve them? If not, don't beat yourself up. Don't spend time or energy lamenting the fact that you've not done it yet or that you've done it, but haven't done anything beyond that. Instead, take action and do it now. Don't react. Just act. When formulating and writing down your goals, don't forget this helpful acronym: SMART

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Time-Based

Instead of a vague idea, create a SPECIFIC goal, which is MEASURABLE (how else can you track your progress?), likely ATTAINABLE, very RELEVANT and TIME BASED (give yourself timelines and a deadline).

And what about accountability? What kind of person are you? Do you respond well to situations, such as this goal setting, in which your accountability is tracked by someone other than yourself? You could relate it to having a personal trainer, to help you reach your fitness goals. A lot of people put extra effort into their workout sessions, because they don't want to disappoint or "get in trouble" with their personal trainer. Though this approach may seem overly simplistic, it is not. Most of us are more accountable when others are counting on us. We follow through better than when we don't have to answer to anyone but ourselves. So, does it make sense to turn your support system up a notch, by finding a friend, colleague, online buddy or a coach who will hold you accountable?

Lastly, I will talk about VISUALIZATION. This is another key in achieving your dreams and most people never really do it. As I stated on January 1st, BELIEF is crucial. You must believe you can have what you want. A step beyond that is visualizing the realization of your dream. What will your life look like once you've attained this goal? How will you feel? What kind of clothes are you wearing? Where are you living? What kind of people are around you? To someone who has never done this before, it may sound silly. You may ask "What different does it make what clothes I am wearing?". What I am getting at is this; what will your life really look like? What things have been improved by you reaching your goal? Visualizing this, really seeing the possibilities that lay ahead of you, will motivate you to achieve what you want and will imprint on you the belief that you can and you will have it. And once you achieve that goal, all other goals, dreams and desires will also appear to become even more achievable to you. If you can't visualize it, you can't achieve it. So, it behooves you to believe and to visualize; really see it happening. You will begin living the life that you truly want.

When I graduated from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, as part of our graduation weekend, we had to spend one afternoon acting as if it was 5 years in the future. We had to talk as if we had already done this and that. It was a fun exercise, but beyond that, it was an important task. See, by talking as if it had already happened, we gain confidence, we believe it's possible, we have the fuel to make it happen. At the Jack Canfield lecture I attended in July, he advocates the same exercise; spend an evening talking and acting "as if". He even suggests inviting friends over and having an "as if" party. If you don't believe it works, try it. I invite you to really give it a try. Maybe one of your goals for first quarter 2008 will be to have an "as if" party and you and your friends can discuss what you've done in the past 5 years (2008 - 2012), after all, at your party, it will be 2013. I can just hear the conversations now.....

"Back in 2008, when I ran my first Boston Marathon..."

"Well, in 2009, my book was published. When it reached the top of the New York Times Bestseller List in 2010, well..."

"In 2010, when I adopted my son, he was so tiny! I can't believe he's already 3!"

"When I opened my business in 2011..."

"Since I've been promoted to CEO..."

"I've been a homeowner for a few years now...."

"That vacation to the Grand Canyon was amazing..."

Let the conversations begin!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Yes, it's 2008 already. Another year has flown by! What are my wishes for 2008? Well, my wishes, desires and goals on a daily, weekly, monthly basis are very consistent; good health, peace, balance, happiness and to live mindfully and with passion. What do you want? Sure, we all have goals and people still make resolutions every year at this time, but forget about what you "should do"...... what do you want to do? We spend much time and negative energy and worry on composing lists of what we think we should do or what others expect of us or trying to keep up with the status quo. How about spending time focusing on and pursuing what we want to do, what nurtures us, what truly brings us joy? When you pursue something with passion, you usually succeed. When you pursue something you don't truly want, typically it's a half-hearted, passionless effort, which results in, (surprise!) failure. Once again, remember what Paulo Coehlo says in "The Alchemist",

"When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it."

Try not to think of resolutions, but rather, goals. Daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly goals. Set measurable, specific goals for yourself and check in on your progress. When you say "I resolve to eat better", how do you measure whether you're achieving that? You can't. How about saying instead "My goal is to eat 5 servings of vegetables per day" or "My goal is to have only one cup of coffee per day". You can measure your progress and your results, which in turn, will keep you on the road toward success.

As I stated earlier, my consistent wish, desire, goal is to have good health, peace, passion, balance, mindfulness and happiness. These are actually generalizations. To reach these goals, I need to break them down in to more specific measurable goals. When goal setting, you must also consider the obstacles you will encounter and how you will overcome them. Think strategy! Another must for success is support. How will you find support in helping you achieve these things? What kind of support works for you? An online support group? A likeminded friend or family member to check in with? A book or weekly podcast? Your church? A local community group that meets every Wednesday evening? A professional coach? Find the support you need to help you realize your dreams.

And remember, BELIEF is crucial. You must believe you can have what you want!

Create goals for all the various areas of your life:

• Finance
• Career
• Relationships
• Health & Fitness
• Fun & Recreation
• Personal Growth
• Contribution / Legacy

And finally, some quotes to help you maintain your motivation;

"A dream is just a dream. A goal is a dream with a plan and a deadline."

"Many fine things can be done in a day, if you don't always make that day tomorrow."

"If you want to have what you have not, you must do what you do not."

And from Stephen Covey:

"The best way to predict your future is to create it."

Many blessings and best wishes for a peaceful and passionate 2008! Do something that brings you joy every day. Create your future and love it!

With love,

Kathleen

What is Success?

Success can be defined in many ways .... just ask a few people what success means to them and you will get as many different answers. One of the definitions of success that resonates with me is this:

SUCCESS: the progressive realization of a worthy ideal

The most successful people usually didn't get where they are by happenstance. It took time and effort. It requires the act of setting goals and coming up with strategies on how to achieve those goals and overcome the obstacles. It is important to have goals, so that we are always reminded of what we want to achieve and we can measure our progress, by having a timeline and a deadline. And goal setting should encompass all areas of your life. At the Jack Canfield lecture I attended in July (which airs on PBS) he encouraged us to have goals for our finances, our career, our relationships, our health and fitness, our fun and recreation and for our own personal goals, such as learning to play a musical instrument or a foreign language. The final goal, he talked about, was our legacy; our contribution to the world. How did we want to be remembered? How did we want to contribute to the greater good?

Take some time to think about what success means to you and start writing down your goals for all the different areas of your life and commit to living the life you really want. You can have your heart's desire. Anyone who is familiar with Paulo Coelho's famous book, "The Alchemist" knows that when you really want something, the Universe conspires to help you achieve it.

For more motivation, please watch this brief movie called "The Strangest Secret" by clicking here.

Could One Conversation Change your Life?

Have you been wanting to...

• improve your eating habits?
• feel confident in choosing and preparing better food for yourself?
• experience a remarkable increase in your energy & vitality?
• stop your cravings and binges?
• feel better in your body and achieve your ideal weight?
• experience an increase in overall happiness in your life?

Well, as a Holistic Health Counselor, I am your personal advocate for living an energized and passionate life. Whatever your concerns are, my job is to help you find which food and lifestyle choices will work best for you and the life you desire. When diet changes, everything changes.

My philosophy is that a true holistic approach to life incorporates things that nourish you other than food, including honest and open relationships, a meaningful spiritual practice, a career that inspires you, and physical activity that you enjoy. These elements are called Primary Food. As a Holistic Health Counselor, I will work with you to help you find balance in both Primary Foods and the foods you eat on a daily basis.

Could one conversation change your life?
I invite you to a free initial consultation to discuss your health history, your concerns and goals, as well as what you have always imagined for your life. This free, one-hour session is a great way for you to get a feel for how I work with clients, and to see if we are a good match. There is no obligation, so I welcome you to consider having this conversation. It could very well be a turning point in your life. Are you in?

Please contact me today at 617.909.0328 or kathleen@kmoriarty.com I am very passionate about helping people reach their goals and I am confident I can help you live the life you truly want.

Your BEST life is waiting..............