Reposition Yourself
March is a month of transition. March is the time to take stock of how your plans for the year are going. I believe that it is important to identify what is working and what isn’t. Ask yourself what has gone well. Write everything down that has been a success. We want to analyze what actions were effective so we can do more of them. Next, ask yourself what isn’t going well. This is not meant to be painful but it is wise to be honest with yourself. Maybe that diet just wasn’t right for you. Maybe your new business marketing technique isn’t yielding results.
Discover Your Strengths
Right now it is essential to be flexible and curious. We are living in a rapidly changing world where certain character traits will serve us well and others may undermine us. In coaching we work out of strengths rather than weaknesses. Positive psychologists, Martin Seligman and Neil Mayerson identified 24 character strengths that are universally recognized. Go to www.viacharacter.org and take the Values in Action Survey to find out what your top strengths are so you can use them to improve your life and business. For instance, mine is persistence and I use it whenever the going gets tough. Another strength I have is spirituality. This means that I pray when I’m in trouble or need guidance.
Design a More Effective Life
Next, ask yourself to describe what your life would look like in a perfect world and if everything had gone as well as it possibly could. Write down this vision for your life and business so you can use your character strengths to build the life you want to have. The reason that we are doing this exercise is because many times we keep doing something that isn’t working, perhaps simply out of habit. In this rapidly changing environment, things we use to do may no longer be viable. Our own values may be out of synch with other people’s values. I value loyalty but today there is less employee loyalty. Business hiring practices that worked 2 years ago are not as effective today. We need to cultivate values in ourselves such as lifelong learning and social intelligence to solve some of today’s dilemmas. As a business coach, I meet many hard workers who are failing because of the changes in our society. I have to help them move rapidly to take a different approach or even to go into a new business.
Jump off the Grid for a Moment
While we are taking stock of what to keep doing, what to stop doing and what new things to do it is necessary to declutter and re organize. It is difficult to think clearly and make wise decisions in a cluttered home or office. We are bombarded by way too much social media and information. Start going off the grid a little. Limit your time on the internet, Facebook, and TV. Have timeouts from your phone. If you are in business, you might consider an answering service, virtual assistant or part time employee to protect you from the incessant barrage of your emails, texts, and phone calls. One business owner that I know, warned friends and relatives that she would no longer be following their Facebook.
Detox Your Social Circle
In order to do the planning that I mentioned earlier, you need some quiet time to sort things out. If you just keep trudging along like a hamster on a treadmill, you’ll never discover what to eliminate and what to do more of. You may need to curtail some activities you no longer really enjoy and add a new interest to your life. It’s possible that you should avoid some of the toxic people in your life and make some new friends. You also must declutter your home and business so you can think clearly, entertain without embarrassment and make a better impression on clients or customers.
Refresh Your Surroundings
If you want to go ahead and start decluttering, use the 3 second rule. Look at an item or piece of paper and force yourself to decide to keep or toss it in just 3 seconds! You’ll get more tips in the class. Plan on rewarding yourself when you finish Spring Cleaning. Imagine a new look for your home or business. My business associate, McKinley Hartley, owner of Creative Space by Design (417-300-3568) can help you with an update. McKinley is much more than just a remodeler. He works with you to produce a unique solution. Imagine having McKinley build custom storage space in your garage, shop, or basement. You could even reorganize your laundry or utility room.
This month I’m going to help people do all of this by giving them what I call Successful Spaces. This means that your home and business will not just be clutter free and clean, your spaces will be inviting and attractive. Starting Tuesday March 22nd at 6 PM CST I teach a 4 week zoom class called Spring Cleaning. Enroll by contacting me at doctormaryis@sbcglobal.net or call 816-872-8239. There is a complete description of the class on my website at www.coachmary.net.
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