Pursue your Passion in 2015

Ever sat down at your computer to search for something on the net and then got distracted – menacing you ended up researching and reading something completely irrelevant to your original search?  That happens to me all the time.  I can literally waste an entire day and like Hansel and Grettle get lost in the forest of online information fodder.  After gorging myself for hours reading and digesting tips, tricks and free downloads, I am no further advanced then I was when I first booted up the tower of terror earlier in the day.

This story can be an analogy of my life: starting off with the best of intentions to further a particular goal, then getting distracted, side tracked and then completely lost.  Last year I wrote a number of posts at selfcoach2success including this one on Going for Gold on Goal Setting.  And there are a myriad of other similar posts out there that detail how to write SMART Goals and how to action them.  So I’m not going to bother regurgitating any of that stuff here.  Do a couple of Google searches if you are really keen or checkout my post from last year if you want to travel that well-worn path to goal activation.  Last year I set a number of goals and I fully intended to kick ass and achieve them – alas I was a FAILURE – well at least in the goals I set myself – but I transformed myself in other ways that were completely off the charts.  I started this new venture with Merna Soul Sister Circle, created new and inspiring connections with other women and taught myself how to use electronic media ( a big achievement for someone who is technological challenged).

Today, I want to step out of this old framework (SMART Goals etc) and explore some new paradigms. Take a step away from the crowd – this includes my engineer husband, James, who is a goal focused and list orientated person  (almost a slave to his lists in some ways).  He keeps badgering me about what New Year Resolutions I've set for myself. Well, it’s time for me to break the chains of conformity and buck the trend of starting the year with Resolutions (only to feel guilty and defeated when I fail to attain the prize). I have decided to reject these old tried and tested methods of progressing my life - much to James’ vexation.  He is uneasy with my new found philosophy and keeps reminding me that no Goal – no growth or gain.

As I said earlier this year I intend to try something “out of the box”.  It’s called Conscious Creation.  James is shaking his head and raising his eye brows as I write this sentence.  I know what he is thinking – “ New age fangled jangles – Linda chasing fairly dust again.  She’s spending too much time with that friend of hers - Merna.” Maybe he’s right, but I’m bored with treading the same old path year after year.  It’s time for me to try a new route with new thoughts and associated actions.  What to hear about it? Well read on.

Jeannette Maw at Good Vibe Blog   has summarized the foundational principles of Conscious Creation to 10 basic tenets. They are:

1.      Anything we can imagine we can create

2.      We create our own reality – based on how we focus (see last weeks blog – recreating your life through the story we tell ourselves and  others)

3.      Yesterday (the past) has no power over us unless we let it

4.      New desire comes from accepting what we don’t want

5.      We receive from the universe what we are feeling – eg think negative an that’s what you’ll get and the reverse it also true

6.      We don’t need to figure out how we are going to get what we want – that’s the Universe’s job – like this concept don’t you?

7.      Our job is to engage our power of focus

8.      Being appreciative puts us in alignment with all good things in the universe

9.      As we create our own truth everyone gets to be right – we don’t have to agree in order to get our own way

10.  Feeling good is both the target (dream) and also the path.

A bit more interesting than the usual ways of looking at things do you think!  Yes, it is a bit more airy fairy too, I suppose.  Anyway lets explore some of the ways we can go about designing a rich and rewarding future using the science of Conscious Creation?

The Process

1.      Look at your past ( see  last weeks post)

2.      Draft your life timeline – start with your birth and all the interesting events/activities/actions that have happened since then to the current date eg school, relocation, marriage, travel, employment etc.  Helen Anderson at ehow has provided a step by step instruction for this activity.You can also generate an online timeline or printable timeline .

3.      Explore where you are now – detail your current life down to the nth degree

The Wheel of Life activity is used by Life Coaches all over the world to help people explore their current situation and to determine satisfaction and balance in various areas.  I found this one a little bit different and thought you might like to give it a try too or alternatively you might like this one.

 4.      Imagine your personal life purpose – A free e-book on this activity can be obtained at Celestine Chua is the writer and founder of PersonalExcellence.

5.      Articulate a pledge to the future you.  

Some Useful Activities 

Commitment Card – Pledge to Future self

1. Write out your pledge or mission statement on 5 pieces of card. For example: “On the 31 of December 2015 I am celebrating New Year’s eve with two of my new friends”. It is important to write down the date.

2. Share your Commitment Cards with 5 people you trust and respect. If you don’t feel able to do this then post it on your desk top or some where you can see it every day.  Alternatively you can make a pledge online 

 3. Encourage these 5 people to inquire about your pledge. If you are doing it alone, re-read your pledge and think about that future self regularly.

4. Ask the  5 people you shared your Commitment card with to contact you on the date stated on the card to see if you have fulfilled the contract to yourself. 

Vision Boards

A couple of great sites with instructions on the do’s and don’ts of vision boarding.  Christine Kane offers a free booklet on the process or Martha Beck offers some additional  tricks. Merna and I are going to make a video of the process we followed and post it later this month.  Watch this space.

Hope you have found this an interesting alternative to the New Year’s Resolution conundrum.  I’ll be experimenting with this formula over the next month and would love to see your vision boards or response to this New Wave Formula for creating a future self.