SHIFT
The new buzz word with relation to personal growth is Shift. As a verb, according to Dictionary.com, it means a change or transfer from one place, position, direction, person, etc., to another.
How many times have we made a mental shift, however our actions do not align with it? I have found myself in that place a number of times, where mentally I was committed to making a move, however complacency, or just plain ole’ procrastination kept me from taking the actions needed to complete the Shift.
Writing my first book was one of those things. It took me over 20 years to get up the courage to put my story out there. Now that I have, I feel free and empowered. As most of us do with the onset of a new year, I became introspective and began examining the personal and professional aspects of my life. What I realized is that some of the same things that were on my “to do list” last year, and the year before, and the year before that, (LOL) were being carried over to this year. I also realized that some of these things directly impact my happiness, quality of life, or business success.
Why in the world would I not take steps to do something about things that I know are unsupportively impacting my health, finances, and overall happiness?!? Because it requires change, and change can be hard. Life will tap you on the shoulder a few times to let you know that you need to Shift, and if you keep ignoring those taps, Life will punch you in the face to get your attention. So here are three things you can do (with the one good eye Life didn’t black out) to motivate yourself to Shift:
- Accept that you will NOT achieve what you want, or have what you desire without Change. Here’s a different way of looking at it; instead of focusing on what you want, focus on what you DON’T want. I promise you, it serves as more of a motivation to Shift than the aforementioned. You may want to win the Power Ball jackpot, however you don’t want to go broke, or end up homeless trying to win it. Which of these is the strongest motivator in deciding which actions you’ll take? Get my drift?
- Tackle one Shift at a time. At the beginning of a new a year, it is very tempting to try and immediately implement all of your resolutions, goals, (or whatever you’re calling them) at one time. Just like you can’t eat once and for all; you cannot tackle your goals effectively that way either. Nutritionists and fitness experts will tell you that multiple small meals per day are best for achieving weight loss. Attempting to eat one really large meal a day will have your digestive system feeling sluggish or will shut it down, and fail to achieve the desired results. It’s the same way with resolutions, goals, etc. Tackling them all at one time, will only serve to overwhelm you, block any movement, and get in the way of your Shift.
- Avoid negative self-talk, and negative people. We can kill our own vibe with the conversations we have with ourselves. Ones where you express everything you don’t like about yourself, or verbal beat downs for doing very human things, like making a mistake, trusting the wrong people, financial irresponsibility, etc. These conversations eat away at our spirit, self-esteem, and confidence. As Ms. Oprah would say, what I know for sure is that they do nothing to help Shift us into action. Cutting off negative people, or people that treat you negatively is a must. Allowing these individuals to remain in your personal universe for various reasons, is another form of self-sabotage. This includes people that Shift all over you. Chameleons are only cute in deserts and rain forests.
So what are you waiting for?!? Go ahead and Shift!
Best wishes in 2019!
Rhonda
