Litter, jumble, chaos, disorder, disarray, messy, untidy.
 
I am always shocked at the state of most people’s garages. In my mind, a garage should house vehicles, tools for DIY and gardening and possibly some miscellaneous items that one keeps because it will come in handy. AH-HA – those are them: the miscellaneous things that we just can’t let go off because we will use them some day. So, in they go. Above, next to or underneath the rest of the some-day stuff until eventually you can’t even remember all the some-day stuff that is in there. This means that you end up  acquiring a new item when you need it because you have completely forgotten that it is in the garage!
 
What a mess! Eventually it takes a good focused effort and a huge investment of time and discipline to sort out the some-day stuff because they start to take over the place. Actually, I have seen some garages that have their vehicles parked outside because there isn’t enough space due to CLUTTER!
 
You might be wondering what a Life Coaching post has to do with garage jumble! Well, noticing all these garages not being used for their primary purpose led me to compare the tangible clutter in our garages to the intangible clutter in our lives.
 
The main thought is about staying true to our purpose, consciously living a purpose-driven life! The gold to be found in knowing your purpose is that you also know what it is not. How lovely to have that focus! To be in a position to consciously decide if you want to deal with the consequences of doing something misaligned to your purpose or to stay blissfully inside that bit of heaven-on-earth where complete joy and fulfillment is found.
 
When you (as the garage) know that your purpose is to house vehicles and tools, you will also immediately know that anything else is a big no-no. If you decide to let everything else in, you will end up with your vehicles outside, everything else inside and you’ve lost your purpose.
 
And this is where I get to the Life Coaching – specifically Transformational Life Coaching. This is a well thought out series of modules that take you progressively through a process of unfolding self-awareness while teaching you tools and techniques for managing your (self-imposed) limitations. It takes a good focused effort, a time investment and discipline while you sort through the clutter. It results in uncovering your purpose and putting yourself in a position to continue on life’s journey knowing what it is and what it is not.
 
I don’t have words strong enough to convey how unbelievably liberating it is when you consciously live a purpose-driven life. I can only recommend that you sign up for the Program and find out for yourself.

Setting a goal is not the same as making a resolution.

Making a resolution is about a decision to do, or not to do, something. Resolutions are often made on the spur
of the moment, in an emotional state, or under peer pressure, and have little to no assessment of the practical implications of the decision. This explains why a whopping 80% of new year’s resolutions are abandoned by February.
 
In setting a goal, there is also the intent to do, or not do, something. The process of setting a goal however requires logical, practical assessment of current state, desired state and what must be done to move from the one to the other.
 
A SMARTEST goal, a good plan and plain old discipline is the mix for achieving success.
 
Let’s look at how to define the goal first.
 
The following table describes the elements of a SMARTEST goal:

​It is key to have a clear picture of what life will be when you achieve you goal – when you write your goal, project yourself to the future date and write the goal in present tense.
 
For example my 2022 goal reads as follows: It is 1 April 2022 and I weigh 55 kilograms.
 
Is it a SMARTEST goal? I believe it is. 

​Next you need a plan.
 
During planning, you

• identify everything that must be done to take you from your current state to the time that you achieve your goal
• plot your list of things against a timeline between Today and Your Goal date.
  

​Below is an example. You will notice that the plan has a good amount of details and that every second milestone, also has how I will reward myself when I achieve that milestone.

​And now – you do it! Have a copy of your goal and your plan visible where you can see it every day. Focus on what you want one day at a time until you get there.

There is one important principle though, if you find that you are not achieving your goal – DO NOT change the goal, rather change the plan. 

​During the last challenging 4 weeks, I literally felt that I was slowly but surely sliding all the way down Maslow’s triangle – it was a very interesting experience for me. Given my knowledge of the impact of change on an individual as well as the human needs that must be fulfilled, I was acutely aware of closing down until I did not want to see or speak to people and was solely focused on getting through one day at a time.
 
I know also though, that focusing on the positive and deliberately looking for people and things to be grateful for, is critical in any challenging situation. Despite the challenges, I found much to be grateful for, to appreciate and to be positive about.
 
I did my rainbow assessment again with the view to taking stock and setting goals for the new year. From the attached photo, you can see what my rainbow looked like in February and what it looks like now! I am pleasantly satisfied with myself. Usually taking stock results in identifying areas of improvement but as you can see, it also gives evidence of progress which is good reason for celebration! There is no resting on one’s laurels though and I have new goals, am gathering new energy and looking forward with appreciation and gratitude. 

How did your New Year’s Resolutions unfold this year? Did you achieve your goals for 2021?
 
The numbers may vary but in general it is interesting that a relatively small percentage of people set goals and of those an even dismally small percentage actually achieve their goals.
 
If you are in this elite group of people, well done. If you aspire to be one of these focused, successful achievers, continue reading…..
 
3 Top Tips for achieving your goals

• Write down your goal following SMART principles – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time bound
• Put your goal in a place where you see it every day
• Now write down the steps you must follow to successfully achieve your goal, with clear milestones along the way
• Identify your support and lean on them for help when you are wavering

 
As we enter November, let’s already start planning what we want to achieve in 2022.
 
A Life Coach is the ideal partner for help in assessing your development areas, setting goals and achieving them. 

Money management basics
 
When it comes to finances, it is important not to compare yourself to others – that enviable brand new car, big house or social lifestyle may be sponsored by a deficit in the bank account and isn’t evidence of good money management at all!
 
When you want to get control over your financial state, you should start by creating a plan for monthly spending from actual expenses that you know of and estimated expenses that you anticipate. Download the basic budget example at the end of this article and use it to setup your own version – this can be on paper or in software such as Microsoft Excel.
  
As each month progresses, make a “copy” of your budget where you track actual income and expenses, cross check this against your bank account statements
 
After 3 months, review your 3 budgets (plans) against the 3 copies (actuals), you will find that:

• You are spending less than you receive – well done! Are you saving the surplus in your emergency fund?
• You are spending roughly the same as you receive – good going. Can you find a place to cut down or redirect spending to start an emergency fund?
• You are spending more than you receive – now, this is where some good reflection, maturity and responsibility is needed: you need to receive more or you need to spend less. Is there a way?

 
Obviously one would like to progress from the last scenario to the first in terms of improving your money management.
 
Personal development coaching can guide you in deciding on goals and working out a plan to achieve your goals so that you can take control of your financial situation.

What are you doing here?
 
The context of your “here” is as unique as your thumb print. Even in identical circumstances, you and I have a different perception of what is happening.
 
How so? Well, how you experience anything is
-> based on your emotions
-> created by your thoughts
-> influenced by all the previous experiences in your life
 
It is said that inner peace comes about when you are consciously living out your purpose ie. when you are doing what you are meant to be doing here. Knowing what that is usually comes from taking guidance from your inner voice, having a good understanding of your talents and your personality as well as living out your passion.
 
The purpose-driven one-and-only you
-> learns from all the previous experiences in your life
-> deliberately creates positive and constructive thoughts
-> is aware of, and controls, your emotions
 
Notice how the second chain of events starts with you taking responsibility whereas the first can be reactive, limiting and destructive.
 
Life Coaching can be your opportunity for uncovering your life purpose and understanding what you are (supposed to be) doing here. Contact me for a free session to find out more.

Steven Covey’s 5th Habit of Highly Effective People is “Seek first to understand, then to be understood”. He says further that seeking to be understood takes courage.
 
May I suggest that it is futile to expect others to understand you when you don’t understand yourself? I think it takes even more courage to understand who is staring back at you in the mirror so that you can, then, help other people to understand you. We are seeking first to understand ourselves, then to understand others.
 
The next part is where we gather our courage: in an authentic, respectful and firm manner explain ourselves and how we perceive a situation or person, seeking to be understood. Not submitting or giving up part of ourselves to another.
 
It takes maturity, self-confidence and a measure of assertiveness.
 
Personal development coaching is the perfect vehicle for getting to know and understand yourself better. It also creates self-awareness and the appreciation that it is ok to be you and that it is ok for other people to be them. The tools and techniques that we learn during coaching empower us for successful engagement with others. Contact me if you would like to find out more.   

Do you also get tunnel vision when you are having challenging times?

​One of the definitions of tunnel vision is “single minded concentration on one objective”.
 
In itself, this sounds like a positive, constructive approach.
 
However, when the objective is energy-draining, stressful and filled with negativity, such focus tends to result in losing context of the bigger picture. To me, it feels like my whole existence is consumed by the stressful and challenging experience and it tends to explode to a size that, realistically speaking, is waaay out of proportion. I forget to count my blessings and be grateful for all the wonderful people that I have in my life. Continuing on this path only leads to victim mentality and feeling sorry for myself.
 
What is helpful to me is that I know now that emotions are the results of thoughts. Changing how I think is key to changing how I feel. It sounds simple but it requires determination, persistence and works well if I can find something else to focus on. I also understand that sometimes getting out of that tunnel isn’t just a quick leap, it’s clawing my way out slowly emerging and seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.
 
I learnt this during my coaching training and through helping clients work through challenging times, with the view to improving how they respond to new challenges when they crop up.
 
We can’t be without challenges, they move us out of our comfort zone and teach us valuable life lessons.
 
What we can do is learn to face them as a victOR and not as a victIM.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

​Your satisfaction with the state of your relationships with significant people close to you is depicted by the green arc. When you experience a fear of commitment, being a people pleaser, carry hurt from previous relationships and find yourself holding grudges, it may be an indication that you are struggling in this life area.
Green is associated with Venus and Earth, Libra and Taurus, #4, #6
​

A rainbow appears when pure white light is split into its component colours – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. At URProfitable Life Coaching, the pure perfect white light represents the whole person you are, made up of different life areas. A well-balanced person, achieving success in all life areas is living a purposeful life represented by a beautifully complete rainbow. When self-discovery highlights a life area in need of attention, your rainbow is not complete for that colour and personal development opportunities have been identified.

The light within is your own rainbow.
 
Through one-on-one coaching or by attending my ‘Finding your Purpose’ workshop, you will become more self-aware, identifying areas of your life that need attention. You will learn to use tools and techniques that will empower you to live consciously. You will become deliberate about achieving your goals and fulfilling your life purpose.

My approach to personal development coaching consists of three parts: Taking Stock, Taking Responsibility and Taking Action. After Taking Stock, you will visualize the state of your life areas as a rainbow. Using your rainbow and what you learn about yourself, you will have the ability to start Taking Responsibility and Taking Action to fully complete all colours of your rainbow.

URProfitable Life Coaching helps people realize their life purpose by guiding them through a journey of self-discovery and personal development.