It's not too late!

The year is drawing to a close. Was it a good one for you? I hope so. But perhaps it has been tough. There is something psychological about the end of the calendar year, even if it’s not your financial year end. It’s a time to review your goals to see how close you were to hitting them, it’s a time when a lot of businesses wind down for a Christmas break, it’s an expensive time for presents and parties. So if you’ve not had a good year, it can be an uncomfortable season. No quite so cheerful and jolly and full of bonhomie. So what can you do to pick yourself up and get ready to do battle again?

First up, look to your own self-worth. Even if it all went badly, you as a person are still worthy of a “ten out of ten”. Your identity score should not be dragged down by your score in your roles. In the eyes of the universe you are still intact in terms of your dignity. If you can be solid in that clear certainty then you can still enjoy today (and tomorrow) without feeling guilty and you can draw upon your reserves of energy and ingenuity to work out what is the best next step.

Be as objective and as analytical as you can as to why it didn’t go well. That can be painful. A lot will come down to what you did or did not do. But now you know, what can you do to move forward? What actions can you take? Just taking one small step will help you feel slightly more in control and that in itself helps enormously.
A lot of what happens next will come down to your beliefs and attitudes. So if you want to change your future, you have to change those right now in the present. What can you do to positively effect those? The answer varies enormously depending on what you find that works. Try some new things. We at Sandler would suggest things like “journalling”. Just a quick outline of that technique. Make a list of the top things you are grateful for, a quick list of the things you’d like to attract in to your life, the most important few things you commit to doing today in your business life, your top commitments for your personal life today, a brief list of your positive emotion-fuelled affirmations expressed in the present tense and a score for your self-worth and how you are doing in your roles. It shouldn’t take more than a few minutes but suddenly you have a positive blueprint for your day. It’s very powerful and even more so if you’re willing to share it with others.

Personally I find “emotional freedom technique” or “tapping” very useful too, but it’s an acquired taste! Anything that gets you in a positive frame of mind to deal with today’s issues and challenges. Listening to music, early morning exercise, meditation or even a combination of these an any other are vital right now. It’s not over until it’s over. And even then it’s not over.

If you’d like more on how to get yourself in to the right place to make a difference, contact your coach and /or contact me at Sandler, particularly if you are in Surrey, Berkshire, Sussex, Hampshire or Kent. We are not professional psychologists and wouldn’t dream of trying to fix things like trauma or major issues, but we can help you get back on the horse.

It can still be a good finish to the year!