Almost three years ago, I moved to the Northern Seattle area to serve a church mission. I was there for 18 months and spent every moment of the day speaking, thinking and breathing my faith in Jesus Christ.
I met so many people and had so many powerful experiences jammed into that year and a half. It is probably the toughest, most exhausting 18 months of my life, yet it was also the most rewarding and beautiful. I grew so much in such little time.
My little sister, Emma, is now serving a church mission in Southern Seattle and comes home in just a few months. She always asks me for advice, and I always tell her the same thing. It all comes down to EMBRACING the moment.
Although in the moment my mission felt like it would never end, I look back now and think - where did it go? It flew by, and I miss those mission experiences. She seems to be embracing her companions, the people she's teaching and the lessons she's learning in this important period of her life. She's a wonderful missionary and sister!
Life can fly by just like my mission did for me. We are all in a phase right now. Think about where you are. Are you a mom raising young children? Are you empty-nesters with your spouse? Are you a college kid like me, trying to figure out what career path to take? There are countless phases and countless experiences. We are all different and have special qualities to bring to the table.
At this very moment, you may be wondering if you'll ever get out alive. Maybe you're anticipating the future or dreading what things you have to do tomorrow.
Well, these feelings are real. And that is okay. What makes life so great is when we choose to embrace where we are and live in the present.
Coaching helps people to take the very state they are at and make small steps of improvement through a gradual process. Embracing your present is a part of that process. With time, things keep changing, and we end up missing the things we once had.
Let's savor the moment and look forward with a positive outlook on life. Let's stop wishing too much for the past and hoping too much for the future. Enjoy where you are and know that you can make a difference now. Having this mindset will give us the strength we need to change for the better and to become truly happy.
As a life coach, I guide clients in the process of setting goals.
A goal is the "object of a person's ambition or effort, an aim or desired result".
Imagine what life would be like if we never set any goals. What would our purpose be, and how would we find it? Life would be pretty stagnant, wouldn't it?
We have all had times where we lost motivation in certain areas of our lives. Maybe we got tired of trying or maybe we didn't think we could ever accomplish the daunting task ahead. Yet even when those times occurred, we eventually decided to get back up and keep trying.
Goals help stretch us past our comfort zone. They are there to push us, to challenge and guide us to make needed changes to our lives. Working towards goals has many benefits such as improving performance, increasing your motivation to achieve, increases your pride and satisfaction, improves self-confidence, and eliminates negative attitudes that may hinder improvement.
Most of us can recognize the need for goal-setting. The big question is: How?
The key is to take things one step at a time and never stop trying.
When I was about nine-years-old, my dad was teaching me how to ride a bike. I had refused to try for so long because I had a fear of falling. He would take me out every Saturday morning and encourage me to just try. I knew the basics of how to ride a bike and I knew I was capable; it was just hard for me to see the end goal of riding with comfort and confidence.
After many weeks and some big falls and lots of tears, I had learned how to ride a bike. I still remember the joyous free feeling of riding my purple bike around the neighborhood on my own.
My dad couldn't ride my bike for me. He could only give me tips and encouragement. I had to be the one to become motivated, to keep trying even when I was so scared to try after so many failed attempts. And through it all, I did it. I learned how to ride a bike. And my dad was there to let go and continue cheering me on.
Life coaches don't set the goals and don't accomplish them. But we are there to help you set them, to give you the tools and resources that will help you on your journey. We'll be there to cheer you on and encourage you.
You will have successes and you will have rough patches. But ultimately, if you keep trying you will not fail.
Works Cited:http://www.dictionary.com/browse/goal
