Inspired Balance: Personal Action Plan
Editorial
Welcome to our third edition of Inspired Balance.
We have added a new section near the back of the edition “Tools + Resources” this section will features items that can help you implement the new strategies you learning reading the magazine.
Director/Curator: Lori Lynn Smith
I hope that you enjoy this months articles and put into action the tips and advice we have put together. Contact Us Sacred Earth Partners Training and Retreat Center Inc. 6326 37th Ave NW Edmonton AB Canada T6L 1H8
We encourage you to download each edition so that you can easily click all blue underlined links to valuable resources without losing your place while you are reading. If you have any questions or suggestions for future topics, please feel free to contact me at info@sacredearthpartners.com. Thanks for reading and we hope you enjoy!
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Resolutions vs Goals A lot of people make resolutions every year, but what is a resolution really. I wonder if it is more of a goal, rather then a resolution. What are goals, they are specific achievement like losing 25 lbs or marathon. What are resolutions, they are permanent changes to your life that you continue to do every day. The Happiness Project talks about the concept of “hitting goals and keeping resolutions.” Goals you can easily tell the end, you know when you are done. Resolutions are something you resolve to do every day for the rest of your life.
4 New Year’s Goals Worth Setting
• For example, rather than stating that you want to lose 25 pounds next year, try to find achievable goals that will help you lose weight. Set goals such as enrolling in a yoga class, trying three new types of aerobics, or going for a walk each day after dinner.
New Year’s Day is a great time to implement change and personal growth by setting goals that you want to achieve throughout the upcoming year. Some goals are well worth setting, because they can contribute greatly toward helping you live the life you desire and they’re attainable without any unrealistic expectations.
• Resolve to bring new experiences into your life. Set goals about new foods that you want to try, eating 3 more vegetable servings each day, or growing your own organic vegetables.
Try these types of New Year’s goals to ring in a happy new year:
• These goals are more fun to reach, but they’ll contribute to the same end result.
1. Health improvements. When your body thrives, you have more energy, enthusiasm, and vitality to do everything you want to do. Focus on setting goals for the specific actions that will provide the results you’d like to see.
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2. Financial improvements. Following the same advice as above, try to avoid setting unrealistic goals like “pay off all my debt next year” or “Put $10,000 away in savings.” Instead, choose goals for specific actions that will get you where you want to be financially. • For example, you may resolve to save all of your spare change and deposit it into your savings account every month. • Maybe you’d like to pick up 3 extra hours at work each week and dedicate those earned funds to your savings account or debt repayment. • Or make a list of specific money-saving actions like the above that you’d like to incorporate into your daily life and add a new action to your routine each week. By the end of the year, you’ll be an automatic money-saving machine! 3. Creative endeavors. Creative goals can absolutely lead to personal enrichment and development. What interests you? Set goals to try new things, experience new places, challenge your comfort zone, and learn about yourself all at the same time.
• To get you started, consider resolutions to try new crafts or creative projects, start writing in a journal, take up pottery, or a variety of other creative endeavors. Create a goal to try a new recipe at least once a month. Or fashion a resolution to hand-make every Christmas gift you give, starting at the beginning of the year! 4. Intellectual endeavors. Intellectual New Year’s goals can also benefit you in many different ways. Elect to take a course or seminar on a topic interests you, such as photography, scrapbooking, auto repair, or entrepreneurship. • Challenge yourself to read ten non-fiction books about subjects that interest you, or resolve to participate in an intellectual challenge like NaNoWriMo, November’s “National Novel Writing Month.” • New Year’s goals are a great way to find new ways to challenge yourself. Above all else, choose New Year’s goals that actually interest you and that are achievable for you. Resolve to do things that will be enjoyable, while also improving your life as a whole.
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Yearly Themes Every since I first heard about this strategy, I just had to do it. To me it brings a connection and wholeness to the year that really feels wonderful. This last year I noticed just how effective it the strategy is and just how unclear I was when I put my theme together. The idea behind this strategy, is that you select a “word” or “theme” as your guide or compass for making decisions during the year. This really needs to be connected to your core values and aligned with your life purpose and passions. It is pretty easy, but takes a little bit of time, prayer and meditation. It is every bit worth it when you have your theme.
Review or re-evaluate your core values to ensure you are coming from a place of purpose and alignment. Step 1. Brainstorm words, ideas, thoughts. Free write anything that comes to mind. Step 2. Ask yourself if any of these words speak to you, if you can feel them. Step 3. Review all the words you have written down, review the meanings of each of the words. Step 4. Meditate and pray, allow the words speak to you.
There is a worksheet in the Tools & Resources section at the back of the magazine.
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Goal-Setting Traps to Avoid This Year Do you find yourself struggling to achieve your goals? Perhaps your difficulties lie in the way you’re setting your goals in the first place. Rather than setting yourself up for success, you may be setting yourself up for failure in your first step! There are four very common “goal setting traps” that you may be falling into. These are dangerous mistakes that can make it very difficult for you to accomplish whatever you’re setting out to achieve. Find greater success with your goals by avoiding these goal-setting traps: 1. Your goals are too vague. If your goals contain uncertainties, you’ll have difficulty attaining them. Strive to create specific goals. Determine exactly what you want to achieve and attach terms to your goals that are certain and measurable. • Ensure that your goals are measurable and timely. There should be a specific point when you can tell that you’ve achieved your goal. “Lose weight” is not measurable, but “Lose 10 pounds” is. “Lose 10 lbs in 90 days” is ideal, because it’s clear, concise, measurable, and has a motivation-driving deadline. 2. Your goals aren’t personal enough. You’re much more likely to reach your goals if they’re your own goals, speaking to your own desires, rather than being inspired by others. While you can model your goals on the achievements of others, they should be goals that are meaningful to you in order to drive your success. A Digital Publication From Sacred Earth Partners
3. Your goals are more difficult than you realized. Setting goals that are beyond your reach is simply inviting failure. Instead, set goals that you know are attainable, and break them into smaller, bite-sized stepping stones to enhance your ability for achievement. • Follow the SMART strategy for goal setting. Create goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely in order to make it easier for you to achieve them. Your goals don’t have to be far off or hard to reach - you can simply set new goals to replace the old as you reach each smaller goal. • Goals that are too easy can also be detrimental. If you don’t feel motivated or challenged, you may not perceive that the goal is worth your time or effort. Choose goals and aspirations that drive you to achieve them. 4. You’re keeping your goals a secret. If you keep your goals hidden, you’re more likely to abandon them. Tell everyone you can about your goals and put them out there in the public eye so others can help motivate you to achieve what matters to you most. • Develop a support team of like-minded individuals to get the help and support you need. When you share your goals with others, they can build you up and help you find the drive that you need to fulfill all that you set out to do. Although these are simple pitfalls, they can have an enormous impact on your ability to achieve what you want. When you avoid these four common traps to effective goal-setting, not only does it make it easier for you to attain your goals, but it also helps you overcome challenges along the way. At last, your days of struggling to reach your goals can be a thing of the past while your future shines brightly ahead!
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How to Set SMART Goals for the New Year
knees.” Both are specific goals without any vague phrasing left open to interpretation. • The more specific your goals are, the clearer it will be when you finally achieve them.
One of the best ways to guarantee goal-setting success is to ensure that each of your goals or New Year’s resolutions fits the SMART formula. SMART is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. When your goals have these characteristics, you are much likelier to achieve them. Goal Setting Success Setting short term, medium term, and long term goals for yourself is a key
to success in your life. If there are things that you want to achieve or ways that you want to grow, setting goals as stepping stones is an important part of getting there.
• Break your large goals into smaller shortterm and medium-term goals, with each smaller goal phrased just as specifically in order for them to be attainable and achievable.
a clear end or point of attainment.
4. SMART goals are realistic. SMART goals are not only attainable, but they are realistically attainable. They are a combination between a specific achievement that you can reach and a time frame that realistically coordinates with that achievement.
• Being able to measure your progress is really important in goal setting and goal achievement. It helps you determine whether or not you’re moving in the right direction, since you can clearly track and measure both positive and negative progress along the way.
2. SMART goals are measurable. This 1. SMART goals is another reason why are specific. This means smart goals are numbers that your goal should be based. To know whether numbers based, or have or not you achieved a a specific goal in mind. goal, you must be able A smart goal may be “Go to measure your profrom 165 pounds to 155 gress. SMART goals are pounds,” or “Touch my goals that you can track toes without bending my and measure that have
• For that reason, a SMART goal would be 3. SMART goals “Lose 10 pounds in 90 are attainable. Smart days,” for a healthy weight goals are goals that loss of 3 to 4 pounds per you can actually attain. month, rather than “Lose They’re not extremely far- 10 pounds this week.” fetched goals like “Lose 100 pounds in 90 days,” because if there’s no way 5. SMART goals to achieve the goal, why are timely. Smart goals set it? SMART goals are have time frames, and goals that you’re physica- realistic ones at that. lly and mentally capable When you put a realistic of achieving. time frame on your goal, it gives you something to work for. To simply “Lose
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Follow this strategy to set SMART goals:
10 pounds,” without a time frame lacks motivation. “Lose 10 pounds by my birthday” has a realistic time frame that gives you something to work for and a date for completion. Bottom Line Setting SMART goals is the best way to guarantee success at setting and achieving goals for what you want in life. By setting goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely, you can and will achieve
How to Make Time for Physical Health During the
Holiday Season During the holiday season, physical health often takes a back seat. We’re so busy with family and friends that we neglect our normal routine. That can leave you feeling run down, lethargic, and uninspired. The holidays are a time of good cheer and celebration. The good news is you can experience that joy and still manage to take care of your physical health. Choose to make your physical health a priority during the holidays. Take the initiative because you’re worth it, and your enjoyment of the holidays depends on it. A commitment to your health will lead you to find the time, and the time spent will provide enough energy and self-
son.Get the exercise that your body is used to and that it craves, so you can stay feeling alive. In the midst of all the holiday shopping, get-togethers with friends, and obligations, your workout must be a priority for you to succeed. Be flexible about the days and times of your workouts, but remain firm that you will get your workout in. Make Time for Your Needs Even when the holidays are in full swing, family and friends are around one another for only part of every day. You’ll have some time to yourself. Use that time wisely and plan carefully to get the most out of your holidays. If you do, you’ll surely be able to find time for your workout. Remind yourself that you’ll feel sluggish if you miss your workout. Constantly visualize yourself enjoying the success that awaits you for attaining your physical goals. Take care of your body, and your body will thank you with the energy to take care of everything else over the
confidence to get you through the stressful parts of your holiday seaA Digital Publication From Sacred Earth Partners
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exercising in the future. After all, you probably had to do all of those things when you first started working out. You might have had someone
holidays.
to encourage you, or you may have been required to figure it out on
Family and Friends May Follow Your Lead If you stay consistent in your workouts and enjoy taking care of your physical health, others in your family may follow suit. You can help them
your own. Either way, you have the opportunity to set a good example for others while still keeping yourself healthy over the holidays. Take advantage of that chance to help other people.
get healthy by showing them your goals and how you’re working toward If you’re focused and dedicated to staying fit, you’ll find ways to work them. Consider working with them on: •
Eating better so they can maintain optimal weight for their height
out during quiet times and schedule your exercise around family activities so that everyone wins. Your body will thank you, your mind will be more alert, and the holidays
and activity levels
will seem far less stressful when you take care of yourself first. Invest
•
Getting some exercise each day so they remain energetic
•
Seeing that exercise can be fun and enjoyable so they’ll keep offer you.
the time in your workouts to make the most of all the holidays have to
doing it in the long-term •
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Say Goodbye to the Old Year the Right Way - Safely With the old year on the way out and a New Year coming in, it’s important that you celebrate in moderation. It’s great to have fun, and there are plenty of safe things you can do to start the New Year out right. Strive to help your family and friends have a fun, safe New Year, as well. Consider these options for safely ringing in the New Year with pizzazz:
3. Donate to a favorite charity in lieu of spending money on something frivolous to bring in the New Year. You can have a quiet night in. You’ll feel good in the morning and someone else will benefit from your generosity.
1. Host a party for your friends and family members. When you have them at your home, they’ll avoid being out where there are drunk drivers and other hazards. Keep them safe by keeping them close to you.
4. Figure out your goals and plans for the New Year. Preparing a budget, making a “bucket list” or spending time in quiet contemplation are all great ways to start the New Year out right without a lot of money, effort, or anxiety.
• If your guests drink, make plans for them to stay the night so they won’t be drinking and then driving home. If you don’t have enough beds, have everyone bring sleeping bags and pillows. You’ll all be happier for it in the morning, safe and sound!
There’s nothing wrong with going out on New Year’s Eve, but that’s one night in which it’s far safer to stay home. And your children or friends will thank you for simply being there with them. Reminiscing with friends about the great times you’ve had together can help you look forward to what the New Year will bring.
2. Volunteer somewhere on New Year’s Eve. There are a lot of people who are less fortunate than you. You can do something nice for
One good reason to have a safe New Year’s Eve is that the New Year is waiting for you! Start it with energy and vitality by making safe choices that leave you ready for a fresh start. Start the New Year with enthusiasm for all it has to offer you and joy for the fact that you’re still around to experience more of what life has to offer.
them by just being there and showing them that they matter. This will start the New Year out with warm feelings for both of you!
Let go of past hurts and disappointments. Sure, they might have been upsetting, but they’re in the past now. You can move forward in a new direction instead of letting them cloud your future. Keep your heart open for joy, peace, love, and adventure. When you allow the good things of life into your heart, it’s much easier to move forward as challenges arise. Even the happiest people struggle sometimes, but being well-prepared for everything means that you’ll have a much higher chance of staying happy and moving into the New Year with grace, hope and positive expectancy
The New Year Awaits You
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How to Make and Keep New Year’s Resolutions
Focus on what kinds of changes you really want to make in your life. Do you want to lose weight? Quit smoking? Go back to school? Write a novel? There are all kinds of things you may want to do, both big and small. In order to get them done, you have to first get started. Making Realistic Resolutions
If you’re like most of us, you rarely keep your New Year’s resolutions. Perhaps you have trouble with them because you make resolutions that are too ambitious. Or maybe you give up because immediate progress is hard to see. Whatever your reason, it’s possible to make adjustments in your approach until you get what you want. If you want to keep your New Year’s resolutions, you first have to learn to make the kind you can actually follow through on. Make effective resolutions that support you and lead you toward the destiny you desire. Create unstoppable momentum by creating resolutions that lead to small, continuous victories. A Digital Publication From Sacred Earth Partners
If you have a big goal, break it down into smaller, bite-sized chunks. Saying you want to write five books next year, lose 100 pounds, or get your 4-year degree are goals that are very worthwhile goals. But they’re only attainable if you break them down into smaller actions you can accomplish in real life. Write down the actions you must take to write those books, lose those pounds, or get that degree. What one small action can you take today to move yourself closer to your goal? Take that action, and write down actions you can take each day for the next ten days. When you do, you’ll create unstoppable momentum toward the success you deserve. 14
When you decide what really matters to you and break it down into want. small chunks that are easy to handle, you keep yourself from becoming overwhelmed. If you still feel overwhelmed, break your resolution down further. The big dream at the finish line will motivate you and the small steps to get there will keep you from getting overwhelmed.
Setbacks provide great feedback that helps you to get on track. Use your setbacks to set yourself up for an even bigger comeback. When you do that, you’ll get more accomplished than you expected to, even if you fall short of your goal. Above all, decide what’s important to you and
Remember to reward yourself at each small victory. Keep reminding go after it with all your might. When you do, you’ll begin to experience yourself about why you’re doing the things you’re doing. That way, you’ll the fulfilling life you deserve. stay motivated and excited throughout the year to come.
Keep Your Resolutions Alive Tracking your progress is vital to successfully keeping your New Year’s resolutions. Pay close attention to your progress. Make an effort even when you want to throw in the towel. The only way to fail at New Year’s resolutions is to give up. Notice what’s working and what needs to change in your approach, and then adapt your tactics until you get what you A Digital Publication From Sacred Earth Partners
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5 Reasons to Live in the Now and Take Each Day as it Comes
It’s easy to get caught up in planning your future. Planning for a secure and happy future is an important undertaking, but too much attention to a time that is yet to come can greatly inhibit your ability to focus on the here and now. Right now, at this very moment, you can begin to enjoy your everyday life that is currently flashing unnoticed right before your eyes. Let the future come naturally and live joyfully and willingly in the present moment! Consider these five reasons that you should start living in the here and now: 1. Each day, you grow older. Each day of your life has the ability to be monumental, but each day only happens once. Every moment of every day, you’re given a chance A Digital Publication From Sacred Earth Partners
to make a lasting memory. Create a memory that you’ll be proud to share. • Your fate is up to you. If you’re concerned about the future, you can start paving the road for it today. That road starts by living your life to the fullest degree at this very moment so you feel fulfilled in the years to come. 2. You replace worry with contentment. With the future comes uncertainty. However, by focusing on today rather than your tomorrow, you’ll inherently stop worrying about what’s to come and focus on enjoying your reality. 3. You get to know yourself. Your wants, needs, and interests are constantly evolving. If you’re wrapped up in planning for tomorrow, you may never truly get to know the person you are today. • By defining yourself in the here and now, you’re able to truly figure out what you want. It’s common to be so deep into nurturing a plan for the future that you’ve created years ago without realizing that it’s far different 16
• This is the time to be spontaneous. Take your family to a random, weekend vacation. Surprise your spouse with an adventurous trip on a hot air balloon or go kayaking with your friends. These are memories you’ll cherish for a lifetime!
than your ideal life. 4. You spend more time with your loved ones. If you’re a parent, you know better than anyone that those precious moments disappear in a blink of an eye. One moment, you’re changing your first diaper. The next, you’re watching your children forge ahead on their own.
Life is beautiful! It’s joyous and full of abundance. So many meaningful things happen in your everyday existence. However, if your mind is trapped in the future, all of these events will slip by before you’re even able to notice that they’re gone. Live in the now!
• Spending time with your children is obviously important, but devoting time to your spouse is even more so. When you do, you nurture your marital relationship to ensure that your significant other is feeling loved and cared for, which in turn, helps your children to feel that love as well. 5. You experience all life has to offer. You only have one life to live. It’s important to maximize every moment by experiencing each moment to its fullest. Take advantage of the youth you have on your side now, before it’s too late to do it later. A Digital Publication From Sacred Earth Partners
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Rediscover Your Motivation When You’ve Lost Your Way Do you ever feel lost when trying to achieve your goals, especially when progress seems so far away? If you’ve lost your way in trying to achieve a goal, you may find it difficult to rebuild your motivation. But there’s nothing stopping you from picking yourself up again! If you feel like you’re off track, now is the perfect time for you to gather your thoughts and move forward again. This is a perfectly achievable feat, but you must be willing to give it your all. Try this strategy to rediscover your motivation: 1. Figure out where you want to be. What do you want in your life? What matters most to you right now and where do you want to go from here? Take the time to visualize your dream life. Try to envision as many details as you can so you can get a feel for what you truly desire. 2. Commit these ideas to paper. Write the details out clearly. Focus on what you
do want rather than what you don’t have or don’t want. Put all of this information down on paper in a format that works for you, such as a mind map or a brainstorm cloud. You need to be able to process this information after you jot it down on paper. 3. Review your current goals. How do your current goals and aspirations relate to your dream life? Are you setting specific goals for what you really want to achieve in life? If not, then revise your goals so they’re in line with what you actually want. Your goals are only effective if they’re driving you toward the future you desire. 4. Create visual representations of your goals. It’s important to keep your goals in mind. Leave reminders for yourself on note cards, sticky notes, poster boards, dry erase boards, and anywhere else that you’ll see them and be able to think about them. • Keeping your goals in mind is essential to developing the motivation to see them through to their fruition. 5. Enlist help and support. Surround yourself with loved ones that support you
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and your goals. They’ll be some of the best help for relocating your motivation. Encircle yourself with people that motivate you, cheer you on, and feed you positive energy at every turn. 6. Remind yourself consistently. Why do you want these specific goals? Close your eyes and visualize your dream life often, in detail, and review your action plan to remind yourself how you’re going to get there. • When the “why” of your goals is important to you, the “how” more easily appears. Knowing exactly what you want and how you’re going to get there brings consistent motivation. With a detailed action plan of achievable steps, you’re excited about your next step and tackle challenges with gusto to get past them and move on! When you take decisive action to achieve your goals, you can find the strength and motivation to carry on. Avoid letting obstacles in your path prevent you from attaining the dream life that you deserve because, with hard work, the ability to bring your dreams to life is just around the corner. 18
Tools + Resources
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SMART Goal Planner Specific: What specifically will I achieve? Measurable: How will I measure it? Achievable: Is it achievable by me now? Relevant: Is it relevant to my larger goals? Time-framed: By what dates will I achieve it?
What Resources Do I Need to Organize?
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What Milestones Will I Recognize?
What Rewards Will I give myself?
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Theme for the Year Step 1. Brainstorm all the words that you are feeling.
Step 2. Think about each word and ask yourself why it would be a perfect match.
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Theme for the Year Step 3. Spend some time reviewing the meaning of each word.
Step 4. Take some time to think, to meditate, to really allow the time for the word to find you.
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Thanks and Attributions Thank you so much to every one that made this months magazine a success!
Images: By Per Ola Wiberg ~ powi By Jeff Kubina By jam343 By aussiegall By OliBac By Vince Alongi By jenny downing By Zaqqy J.
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Contact Info Email Mail Info@SacredEarthPartners.com Snail Mail
Website: www.SacredEarthPartners.com
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Email: Info@SacredEarthPartners.com Twitter: @LoriLynnSmith Facebook: www.facebook.com/lori.smith Google+: www.gplus.to/lorilynnsmith Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/lorilynnsmith Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/thepassiondiva
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