I don’t believe in New Year’s Resolutions. Not anymore. I have seen too many…and made too many myself…that hit the New Year running, only to find them limping along by February, and completely petered out by the Spring thaw.
 
I have learned that the best moment to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time to plant a tree is now. NOW. Not “after the holidays”, or “after the kids are out of school”. Not “once the kids are back in school”, or “Monday”. NOW.
 
Occasionally a potential client will call me in the Fall, anxious to begin their new goals to overcome a challenge or build their business, only to determine that they’ll “start after the holidays”. I just smile and tell them to let me know when they are ready. Unfortunately it isn’t uncommon to talk to them 6 months later and realize they never started at all.
 
Well, whether you believe in New Year’s Resolutions or not, tomorrow IS the start of another new year! If you have dreams and goals, which I hope you do, how will you pursue them in a way that won’t peter out by spring? How will you keep your “why” fresh in your mind each day? Who will you make a part of your team? Will you get a coach? A mentor? A friend?
 
You see, growth is for every day. Not just January 1st. It is what makes us happy, fills us with purpose, and fulfillment. It improves our relationships, helps us increase our talents, and therefore the service we can give to more people. Progress is the reason we are here in the first place.
 
If I can help you in your quest to thrive, please don’t ever hesitate to contact me…whether it’s January 1st or not. 

I decided to love it. I realized that I was missing out on many great opportunities to spend time with my best friend! So I began learning about the game.
 
Soon I actually understood all (…ok…most) of the numbers on the tv screen. I learned about rankings, national champions and underdogs. But nothing blew my mind as much as learning about plays. For years I had been seeing players block and tackle, but I had never realized there were multiple ways they could do this! I learned about hooks and swims, fakes and fallbacks. I learned that every game has to have its own game plan, and every team has a collection of PLAYS that prepare them to handle any number of the predictable scenarios they are likely to find themselves in.
 
What are the predictable situations you might find yourself in when facing your current opponent? If your opponent is the habit of turning to food when you’re not hungry, you might find that you struggle at awkward dinner gatherings with strangers. Maybe you get tackled every time you go to book club, or to Sunday dinner at Mom’s. Creating a PLAY for each of those situations allows you to make a plan ahead of time, when you are thinking clearly, to help you come out of those situations much closer to the goal.
 
Here are the steps to creating a PLAY:
P - Prepare
What will you do ahead of time to help ensure your success?
L - Lies
What are the lies or limiting beliefs you tend to believe in this situation? What is the corresponding truth to each of those lies?
A - Action
What actions will you take?
Y - Yardstick
How did you play measure up? Where does it need to be changed?
 
Remember, it takes a lot of practice for anything to become second-nature, and mistakes are a part of the game. The more we practice, the more prepared and confident we are that we can face our opponent and come off conqueror!
 
I am passionate about helping my clients develop their Game Plan and Plays in a Playbook to help them have the tools to deal with every situation, whether that situation is developing a healthy relationship with food, a stronger connection among colleagues, or increasing their Return on Investment.
 
I have found that having a coach is as critical in overcoming our life challenges, as it is on a football field. Watch this short video to see how you can participate in a FREE From Food to Faith Sample Meeting, and learn how to create PLAYS for your own life!

Next week: I’ll cover how we can use the first step of creating our PLAYS, Prepare, to help us find success on our journey From Food to Faith.