The 8th Side Empowerment Coaching
Words of Wisdom

Words of Wisdom

Resolution, Brand New Year

January 2008

Words of Wisdom

Of course I am going to write about Resolutions, it is the New Year! So, what are you going to resolve this year?

The most common resolutions every year are:

  • Health and fitness,
  • Spending more time with family
  • Getting finances in order

The most common reasons why you don't stick to your resolutions are:

  • Your resolution is about 'not doing' something
  • Your resolutions aren’t written down or captured using S.M.A.R.T Goals
  • We TRY to achieve a resolution. TRY is another word for won't or can't. When you TRY to do something, it is only an attempt and we then give up after we hit the first hurdle

Last year around this time, a client of mine we'll call "5 Years of Failed Resolutions" came into my office to once again attempt to get his life organized so he could make the same money and work less so he could spend more time with his family. His working was the main reason his family relationships were breaking down and his wife was threatening to leave him if he did not spend more time at home because she felt it was her last resort. He was desperate to make a change and it felt hopeless.

After discussing with him on what wasn't working in his life, we determined 3 main things:

  • His stress level was through the roof and he had anxiety all the time due to pressure at home and deadlines at work,
  • He worked 12 hours per day 5 days per week and when he was home he worked another 4-5 hours per day including his days off,
  • His family life was breaking down.

After just six weeks of therapy, "5 Years of Failed Resolutions" had a plan in place to succeed. We set S.M.A.R.T goals, set up a schedule for daytime breaks outside his office, he learned that taking time out for himself actually decreased his stress and made him more productive during the day. We also agreed no working at home. When I first suggested this, he scowled but agreed to do it for 1 week. Because he was more productive during the day, he only needed 1-2 hours working at home instead of 4-5. He also took one full day off per week. This obviously freed up some very valuable time for him to spend with his family.

Mrs. 5 Years saw the changes in her husband and she decided to make some changes of her own. In six weeks I helped her to set boundaries, to use their time apart doing things she loved to do and think and feel differently about their life together.

It has been almost a year since and they both have found success in love and life. If you are struggling with finding balance in your life, contact us to find out more information on how we can help you. Visit us online at www.th8thside.com or call 613-281-0439. Unleash Your Potential this New Year.

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