3 tips for carving out a fresh start

3 tips for carving out a fresh start

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SALT LAKE CITY — Like sharp pencils and fresh paper at the beginning of school, a new year means exciting life possibilities. What do you want to become, do, or experience in the next 12 months? Try a few tips to get that fresh start you’re seeking.

Clean the slate

Starting a new project typically means cleaning out a space, whether it’s physical or emotional. Let go of negative self-thoughts from the past year, what should have been accomplished or what could have been changed. Learn from it, love it, then in the words of Disney, "let it go …" (I couldn’t resist).

Now is the time to create space for something wonderful. As Bryant H. McGill shares, “Abundance is a process of letting go; that which is empty can receive.” Empty out self-recrimination, take a deep breath and prepare for a new way of doing things.

Envision your ideal now

Too often we feel frustrated or complain about life being unfulfilling when we actually don’t know what we want it to be. As we take time to consider specifics, we’ll develop a clear vision of how we want to live, right now. Ask yourself, in a day of my ideal life, what am I doing? Who am I with? What am I experiencing? Getting detailed helps your mind to begin working on ways to make it happen.

VIDEO:

A fabulously simple three-step exercise is one I’ve done with hundreds of people: it’s to create a Life Paragraph. Incredibly easy, simply begin with buzz words to describe your ideal life in three areas: Self, Relationships and Life Skills. Self could be “happy, fit, confident”; Relationships could be “affectionate, effective communication, playful”; and Life Skills could be “manage time, organize my home, track the budget.”

Next, choose three or four of the brainstormed words that resonate most with you in a life area. Using them, create one or two sentences to describe that area. For example, “I am a happy, fit, confident, spiritually grounded woman.” Lastly, combine the few sentences from each life area to make a Life Paragraph. Voila! To help you make it easier, download a free Life Paragraph worksheet. It works, simply and enjoyably. Let yourself write freely, without self-edits or perfect results.

Choose 1 habit to start the dominoes falling

I remember Dr. Phil sharing that in order to lose weight, he created a new habit by entering his home a different way — definitely not through the kitchen. That way he wasn’t tempted to grab a doughnut or snack. In his book "The Power of Habit,"author Charles Duhigg calls this finding the “keystone habit.” As you change one vital habit, not only do you change one habit, but feel the domino effect in several life areas.

Use these simple tips to carve out a meaningful and motivating life plan for the coming year.

For an enhanced discussion, view the TV version of this article on www.studio5.ksl.com or www.conniesokol.com.


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About the Author: Connie Sokol ------------------------------

Connie Sokol is an author, speaker, TV contributor and mother of seven. Contact her at www.conniesokol.com.

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