It’s here. Another year. The calendar is forcing itself on you, dictating you get all tingly with motivation and inspiration to jump start your life.

How’s that going for you?

If the idea of making resolutions hasn’t resonated with you in this brand spanking new 2011,  don’t force the issue with a list that feels ‘been there, done that’ and failed miserably in the past. Perhaps your subconscious desires something different, more stimulating, outside the parameters of the formula you’ve been using for years.

So if you’re up for change, but unmotivated because 12 months seems like a loooooong stretch or you don’t really know what kind of job you want, why not explore a bit? Don’t worry, I have some ideas.

As one who is driven by deadlines, I liked a friend’s suggestion to use the Mayan Calendar as a sort of end point to figure out what you want your life’s priorities to be.

According to author and internationally recognized Mayan Calendar expert Carl Johan Calleman, “Rather than facing a great change in our socioeconomic relationships … many prefer to fantasize about some physical or astronomical event, that purportedly is going to happen on December 21, 2012. In reality the Mayan calendar is however not about something that will happen on a singular date, but a description of a divine plan for the evolution of humankind where quantum shifts between calendrical energies bring about shifts in consciousness.”

But let’s suppose for the sake of this exercise that an astronomical event occurs and the world as we know it is going to end on that date. That gives you a little less than two years to do everything you want to do. What’s on the list? With whom would you spend more time? Which countries are a must-see? What books have you still not read that you’ve been meaning to?

When one of my life coaching clients had some trouble creating a vision of her life a few months ago, I suggested she try couching it in these terms to get to the core of her most desired goals. She responded beautifully, citing regular hikes, an archaeological dig, a safari with her nephews, classes in literature and painting, and volunteering in a way that would make someone else’s time left in this life more enjoyable.

The idea then is to take that list and see what you can realistically, perhaps with more concerted effort, incorporate into your life now – this week, this month, this quarter, this year. If finances are preventing you from going on an archaeological dig right now, what else might you be doing to feed that interest? Is there a club, an exhibit, research or anything else you can do to take a step towards that passion?

Apply this logic to your desires and see if that doesn’t instantly improve your quality of life. I am a firm believer that once you take action that moves you in the direction of a goal, you will suddenly see things open up and line up in support of that goal.

Another idea that has stirred something in my clients is one mostly related to career paths. So many – both the employed and the unemployed – are stymied about their next move because they want to work in a field or in a position they find satisfying and lucrative. Those that have worked in, let’s say, marketing since college because they fell into it may have a desire to do something different 10 years later, but what?

Try this. Let’s say you could sit next to anyone on a plane going across the country and have that person as a captive audience. Who would it be and what would you say? Have an idea for Steve Jobs? Always wanted to run your film project by Steven Spielberg? How about the CEO of a company you think would be a dream to work for? What retailer do you wish was carrying the product you invented so you could take your company to the next level?

Think hard about this. Where do you want to use your gifts? More specifically, what is the ideal place you’d like to be using your gifts? This isn’t limited to one. How about you come up with three people who could help you realize your vision and then what you would say to each? This will sharpen your focus and may even serve as a draft for a proposal to that person.

Generally, I find that those who have reached great heights in their respective fields are a terrific resource for us to tap into. It helps us see there is no formula that works for everyone, but that so many share traits like persistence and unwavering faith.

The recently launched Oprah Winfrey Network [OWN] has a show called “Master Class” featuring in-depth on-camera interviews that give a peek behind the master. The one on Jay Z, for example, was powerful because he talked about not trying to be someone else or be what you think others want. He had a vision of where he wanted to go, but no plan; however, his belief in himself was strong and he was smart enough to follow his instincts all along the path.

What might you have to say to him -- an artist and a businessman -- on a plane traveling from New York to Los Angeles? I’d think plenty, even if you know nothing about his music or his world.

The idea is to tune in, challenge yourself to get to the core of you. It’s your life. What are you going to do with it?

Of course, you could always follow the advice given in a Tweet by one of my favorite Twitter personalities – RevRunWisdom – because he knows how to boil things down to the essential nugget:

“2011 goal suggestion: Be like a postage stamp & stick to 1 thing till u get there.”

Yep. That could work, too.

Nancy Colasurdo is a practicing life coach and freelance writer. Her Web site is www.nancola.com. Please direct all questions/comments to FOXGamePlan@gmail.com.

 

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