Reboot your motivation

A month into the new year. How is it going? Have you found new and healthy habits to support your intentions and dreams for 2019? If so, YEAH! for you! Or did they flounder and fail? Sometimes they do. And that is ok too.

Don’t worry, be happy

Don’t worry if you could not keep it up. There are good reasons for this. Sometimes what we set out to do is not connected with our heart or soul. If you failed at keeping up with your intentions, you may start by looking at what you are telling yourself. What’s your story for failing? Be honest with yourself. Only by being really honest will you know what to do differently so that you succeed next time. Start again. Don’t wait another year though! Right now is a great opportunity to start afresh.

To give 2019 the best opportunity to be a great year you also need to set aside time for celebration and honoring. Taking the time to honor what was, what you did and how you needed to show up when times got tough is important. Too often we hurry past this at the cost of losing sight of who we truly are at our core. And yes, you get to celebrate even if you failed at what you set out to do.

Chaos and opportunity

Life, in a nutshell, is up and down, around and about, chaotic and unpredictable. We grow during challenges. We learn who we are when faced with more than we feel we can handle. Compassion for others is fostered. Life does not come with any guarantee of being smooth sailing, beautiful sunrises, and calm waters. Life is all about learning how to use the wind and to come about when we need to, getting to know ourselves in the process. This is amazing, fantastic or horrifying, depending on your perspective.

Emergency provisions

Long ago when I was a girl scout, one of the things we learned was to always bring emergency provisions when heading out for long hikes. High up in the mountains you never knew if you would be surprised by bad weather, even if the forecast was clear. The change could come quickly with almost no warning. Having enough food and extra layers of clothes could be essential for surviving.

I am no longer a girl scout, but I still bring my emergency provisions for times when I am low on energy, feel like giving up and lose track of what is important. Today some of my provisions are gifts of acknowledgments. I have a little book where I copy down the sweet words of acknowledgment people send me. Over the years the little book has filled up and today it is a treasure chest for me to remember what is important. It helps pick me up when I am down or helps me remember and connect with people and situations that matter. In a way, this little book has become my oxygen mask.

The gift of acknowledgment

The gift of acknowledgment, the ones you give and the ones you receive, truly makes a difference.
Thomas J. Leonard, Coach U / Coach Ville says it well:

Remind people who they are instead of just complimenting them on what they have done. Praise and acknowledgment are nice, but that’s a bit like telling your dog that his tail wags really well. The idea is to focus on the person behind the accomplishment or problem. It is the fundamental distinction of who versus what. When you help the person get more in touch with who they are, they will produce better whats. If you focus primarily on the whats, you’ll soon be expecting the tail to wag the dog.»

It can take a bit of courage to voice a true acknowledgment, but the reward of someone feeling seen is worth it.

What if your emergency provision was acknowledgments?

Many people are uncomfortable with being acknowledged and don’t know how to receive it. The simple way is to just say “thank you”. Let the words sink in and receive them in your heart. Trust that someone saw something in you, even if you don’t see that in yourself, yet. Receive and allow yourself to be seen. Acknowledgments can come in very handy as the perfect pick-you-up on a rainy and stormy day.

Every day is a new opportunity

So, look at this still brand-new year ahead of you and reboot your motivation. You get to shape and form it through how you show up. Every day is a new opportunity for success, learning, insight, joy and getting to know yourself better.

What a discovery and amazing journey you are on!