By Stacey Rose, PhD, LCSW
So the summer is finally here and as the school year winds down for your kids or your work schedule eases a bit, you can take a deep breath. Go ahead…inhale…and exhale. What do you want to do this summer? Will it be a great vacation? How about heading to the beach? Maybe you want to catch up on some great novels or see a few fabulous movies. Whatever it is, let it be relaxing. We had a rough winter; and just as the seasons change, so too do our lives. We go through seasons in our relationships and hopefully are always evolving.
I’d like to take you on a journey. This is the journey of the next year of your life. Imagine that this is the beginning of the summer of 2015. Think about what would have happened in your life in the past year. What did you accomplish? What changes did you make? Are you in the same home, same relationship, same job? If so, are you happy about that? Or, did you make significant changes? Did you learn how to meditate this past year? Did you take tango lessons or pottery classes? In other words, if you lived your ideal life over the past year, what would it have looked like? THAT NEEDS TO BE ON THE AGENDA STARTING NOW.
Sometimes, we need to start at the end in order to know where we are going. Just like a GPS system, if you don’t put in the destination, the GPS can’t direct you. I invite you to write down the answers to the questions above. Let these be your goals for the upcoming year. Start small though…maybe just have goals for this summer. Maybe you want to take surf lessons or re-ignite your passion for golf. Whatever it is you desire, it is up to you to pursue. If not now, when?
Here’s a bit of a road map to help…
IDEAL….I stands for “I” as in yourself. “D” stands for desire. “E” stands for evolution. “A” stands for aspirations. And “L” is for love.
Follow this map and you should be on your way. Living your IDEAL life means..I desire_______(fill in the blank) and in order for me to be evolved I will _____________. I aspire to _____________ and will love myself and others in this way________________.
If you need some coaching to help you clarify your goals and be held accountable, feel free to reach out. In the meantime, enjoy this summer of 2014 so by next summer, you will feel so much more accomplished and not to mention, ideal!