The Time is Now

An ‘interesting’ year

Anyway, here we are, having just turned another page in the history books as we find ourselves catapulted into a year which is shaping up to be interesting, to borrow from the classic understatement of Chinese philosopher, Confucius.

Special significance

We humans assign a very special significance to the advent of each new calendar year.

It is symbolic, of course. In astrological terms nothing defines the start and end of our planet’s perpetual orbit around its star. And nothing significant accompanies the arbitrary completion of yet another cycle.

A time of renewal

But for us, a new calendar year is a good excuse to celebrate. It’s time to cast out the old and usher in the new!

Psychologically, this self-appointed time of renewal has the effect of spawning various personal resolutions, through which we hope to bring about change in our lives for the better.

A shock

But, according to Time magazine, as many as 80% of people who make New Year’s resolutions, will admit failure by February. A paltry 8% will remain in the hunt a year later!

For most, this should come as a shock. However, as I’ll explain shortly, for those actively involved in life coaching, it comes as no surprise.

The realms of fantasy

There are many reasons why such resolutions tend to remain in the realms of fantasy.

Most notably, resolutions are generally conceived with a healthy dose of holiday spirit, whereas seeing them through requires focus and attention during the inevitable ‘life as usual’ period that kicks in post the year-end festivities.

Resolutions are seldom written down, and even when they are, there isn’t much in the way of specifics or detail that can be scribbled down on the back of a Christmas cracker joke or a festive napkin!

And then, of course, there’s the issue of personal willpower and how vulnerable it is to attrition from the many day-to-day demands of a rapacious external world.

Forget about resolutions

So let’s cut to the chase. My advice is to forget about New Year’s resolutions. They seldom, if ever, work out.

That said, by all means use the psychological boost that accompanies this time of the year to commit to much-needed change in your life.

Change is not only desirable, it’s more than possible … if you go about it the right way.

I think you may know what’s coming next.

Life coaching

Hire a life coach!

Before you raise your eyebrows, think about this.

If you want to commit to a financial plan, you hire a financial adviser. If you want to commit to losing weight and getting fit, you hire a personal trainer. If you want a healthy diet you can sustain, you consult a dietician.

And likewise, if you want to transform your life in one or more areas, you should think no further than hiring a life coach.

Warning

Now, a word of warning here.

Unless you are already a life coach, or have experience with life coaching, you’re likely to think that a life coach is some form of counsellor, advice giver, mentor, or role model for the ideal life.

None of this is accurate.

A good life coach will never advise you on how to live your life. They won’t try to apply their life experiences to your unique situation. And they won’t prescribe solutions for your problems.

Agent for change

The best way to think about a life coach is as a facilitator, or an ‘agent for change’, if you like.

The life coach uses various skills, tools and techniques to help you unlock your full potential by transforming how you relate to yourself and the outside world.

The answer lies within

You may have heard the saying that the biggest obstacle to achieving everything you desire, lies within.

Poorly conceptualised goals, along with overbearing needs, limiting beliefs, misaligned values, impossible rules, a lack of acceptance of personal responsibility … these all contribute to a life where one can feel stuck, unfulfilled and lacking in purpose.

Work miracles

Transformational life coaching fixes all of that.

It truly can work miracles if you embrace the process and – importantly – commit to take the actions that you, with your coach’s help, identify as needed to get you to the promised land of achieving that which you desire for yourself.

Voyage of self-discovery

New Insights trained life coaches are masters at helping guide their clients through a voyage of self-discovery.

That voyage involves exposing your self -sabotaging behaviours, finding your inner power, growing your self-awareness and, ultimately, identifying your life purpose.

Inevitably, that results in setting a new, more empowering, more meaningful, and more exciting course in life.

A caveat

That may all sound pretty exciting … and believe me it is.

But there is a caveat.

The life coach is not a change consultant.

Remember, I said the life coach is a facilitator of change – and a very skilled one at that.

There’s a big difference.

Consultants are people you hire (often at great expense) with the necessary expertise to get things done for you.

The secret of life coaching

The secret of life coaching lies in its acknowledgement that the only person who has expertise when it comes to your life … is you!

So, although a life coach will help you to transform your mindset and self-belief, you are ultimately the one who will do the hard yards to bring about the desired change you identify.

And you’ll be profoundly amazed at what you are capable of achieving when you have a skilled life coach in your corner!

Never a better time

If you’ve ever wanted to invest in a better future, there’s never been a better time.

The time is now!