In “Stuck in a Rut” Part 3, the reader learned about getting insight into your true character. You defined your most cherished priorities and values. Using this concrete, new knowledge, you can now describe your goals in life that truly resonate with your inner self. When you choose to go with the grain of your soul, you will feel energized and in tune with the changes that need to be made to achieve your happiness.
Step 2: Meaningful Goals:
Once you have achieved a deeper understanding of yourself, it will aid you in defining meaningful goals. Now that you have a solid, concrete definition of who you are; you are ready to take the next step. Step 2 involves formalizing life goals that are compatible with your strengths, values, priorities and personality type. When your goals are in harmony with your true nature, the progress and achievement of these goals will give you a deeper satisfaction, gratification, and happiness. Again, taking a page out of my life, when I made the switch from business to counseling; I found my new career rewarding, creative and self-fulfilling. It made me energized rather than draining me. This is what living in harmony with your true self should do. If you are constantly exhausting your energy, you will become depleted, unhappy, and maybe depressed. When I was doing support groups, I use to ask students what their goals in life were. A popular answer was to be rich. Although this is a nice goal, you must have a plan on how your will achieve this. I have known successful people who owned their own personally designed eyewear company, who ran a port-a-potty business and a furniture carving trade. I even had a student who loved trains; he became a conductor. Think outside the box and incorporate your passions.
Step 3: The Process of Goal-Setting:
To simplify this process, here are the major steps…..Decide what you want to go for in life; Research what it will take to accomplish; Divide the goal into doable steps; put your plan into action; and finally, Do each step until you have achieved your goal. Here is a page out of my book. When I was 35, I decided to change my career from business to counseling. First, I researched it and found out I would need a Master’s in Counseling Psychology. Next, I looked into university programs. Then I applied for a Master’s program at St. Thomas University and needed to take three years of classes along with an internship. Once I graduated, I had to hunt for a job, write a resume’, go on interviews and finally get a job in counseling. Was it easy? No! I was scared out of my mind going to my first class, I rewrote my first paper about 50 times, I spent countless hours studying, and the internship I had lined up fell through and I had to set up another. Was it worth it? You Betchya! (Minnesotan for Absolutely)
Now, Go for it!
After reading this article, you now have the key elements to empowering your life. Take this opportunity to make some changes and climb out of your rut. Learn about who you truly are so you can incorporate your personality traits, values, priorities and passions into your future pursuits. Devise meaningful goals and develop an action plan driven by your ultimate aspirations. Take control, be inspired, activate your goals and become empowered!
If you missed any part of this series, you can follow the links below.
For more information, check out “Self-Empowerment” by Rosie E. Kuhn or “Potential: the 5 Pillars to Unlock Excellence” by Kevin Cole. If you would like to read more by this author, try “Empower Yourself to Move Forward in Life….Starting Today!’ or “Define your Values, Focus your Life”. If you would like some personal help, you can book a conversation with Vicki at www.supportivetalk.com