- Develop a Theme that Inspires You
- By Wendy Hearn, Coach
As the New Year begins, it's
inevitable that your thoughts turn to the changes you want to
make or the things you want to achieve this year. You may have
thought about New Years' Resolutions, even though you know they
generally don't work. A New Year is like a clean sheet of paper,
ready to start afresh. So if setting New Year Resolutions doesn't
work, what does it take for you to focus on what's important
to you? The first step is to have a clear idea of this year's
aims. An effective way is to set intentions for yourself to bring
about what's most important to you. Then condense these aims
into a "theme" for the year.
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Your theme will be personally
meaningful, it needs to come from your heart and to inspire you.
As you concentrate on the idea of a theme, jot down any ideas
which may occur to you, even if they don't appear to make sense
at first.
Your theme will reflect your
vision, but whereas your vision is big and much more than you'll
accomplish in your lifetime, your theme is about the part of
your vision you hope to achieve in the next year. Your theme
needs to be a fun thing and something to experiment and play
with. Make your theme outrageous; a step out of your box.
Your theme can relate to any
area of your life, personal or professional and it should impact
your whole life, even if this wasn't obvious when you set the
theme. My theme for this year is with my business. The theme
"be in the moment and trust myself" felt right because
of what is important to me and my vision. |
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This was missing last year and
it would be healthy for me to embrace it fully. It later occurred
to me that this same theme would impact the way in which I interact
with my children and in my personal relationships.
Your theme needs to feel so natural
that you wouldn't need to 'try' and hold yourself accountable
to it. However you may find it useful to set up a reminder system
to say it as often as possible and post it in many places. After
all, if the time comes when your theme isn't working for you
or needs changing, you have that choice. Tie your theme into
who you are and not just what you want to 'do' or 'have'. Whatever
you want to 'do' or 'have' will come more easily when you shift
to 'being' that person. I've heard of some people who have set
a theme for the year of, say, 'travelling more'. A great theme
but until you shift who you are as a person, it's not likely
to happen without struggle. For instance the theme of 'travelling
more' may require that you 'be adventurous' or 'be courageous'.
A theme keeps you focused and
is there to touch base with regularly. Focus on your theme first
thing in the morning for a clearer direction to the day rather
than drifting. When I feel unsure of something, lack direction
or feel unfocused, yet need to make a decision or use my time
more effectively, these are all occasions when I need to 'be'
with my theme and decide what's my next step.
Acknowledge yourself daily for
being with your theme and record the results in your journal
as a means of inspiration. Each day, check that your choices,
decisions, and most importantly, your actions are in alignment
with your theme. During the day and at the end of it, reflect
where you were in touch with your theme and where you weren't.
This will give you clues about what you need to change in your
life. One of the habits I'm working on with my theme is to 'be'
with my theme before I 'do' anything. Even if I don't do this
all the time, at least it's increasing my awareness more often.
What I want for you is a theme
for this year that inspires and excites you and reflects what's
important to you. |
